A Division Bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T Vinod Kumar, issued a directive on August 28, Monday, to the Government of Telangana, mandating the submission of an action taken report within a span of two weeks regarding the concerning demise of Dr Dharavath Preethi, a medical student, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
In this regard, the Division Bench addressed a converted Public Interest Litigation (PIL) based on a letter penned by M Mallaiah, President of the Telangana Scheduled Tribe Employees Welfare Association. The letter was addressed to the Chief Justice of the High Court and urged for a comprehensive examination into the suspicious circumstances surrounding the untimely passing of Dr Dharavath Preethi, a first-year student pursuing MD Anaesthesia at Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal City.
Recalling the incident
The petitioner contended that the deceased, Dr Preethi, commenced her first year of MD Anaesthesia at Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) in Warangal in November 2022. Allegedly, starting from December 2022, Dr Preethi faced harassment and ragging at the hands of second-year students led by Dr Saif. The reasons cited for this mistreatment were disparaging remarks supposedly made about her tribal caste and reservation policy. In response, Dr Preethi brought her grievances to the attention of the Head of Department (HoD) and the principal. Despite her complaints, no substantial action was taken, leading her to confide in her parents.
Further, the petitioner alleged that Dr Preethi's father reported the incidents to the HoD, principal and local police authorities, but no remedial measures were implemented. Subsequently, the petitioner contended that due to her complaints, Dr Saif and his associates harboured animosity towards her. On the night of February 21, 2023, it was alleged that Dr Saif and his associates administered poisonous injections to her against her will, resulting in her loss of consciousness. She was initially taken to MGM Hospital for treatment and subsequently transferred to NIMS, Panjagutta, Hyderabad on February 26, 2023, for advanced medical care.
Despite the efforts of a team of specialist doctors, the Medical Superintendent of NIMS declared her condition irretrievable, and she was pronounced dead.
The PIL, scheduled for hearing on Monday, prompted the division bench to deem the matter of ragging culminating in a student's fatality in a medical college as a grave concern. As a result, the bench instructed the concerned authorities to provide an action taken report regarding the incident. The case was adjourned for a period of two weeks.
