This Article is From Feb 27, 2023

Telangana Medical Student Dies Days After Attempting Suicide Over "Ragging"

Warangal police commissioner AV Ranganath told NDTV that the WhatsApp chats on the victim's and the accused's phones suggested ragging.

26-year-old D Preethi attempted suicide on Wednesday.

Hyderabad:

A first-year postgraduate medical student died in Hyderabad on Sunday night, four days after she allegedly attempted suicide.

26-year-old D Preethi attempted suicide allegedly by a self-administered injections after being harassed by her senior at Kakatiya Medical College, police said.

She was found unconscious after working the night shift at MGM Hospital and moved to Hyderabad in a critical condition. 

"She was last seen at the emergency OP while she was on duty and later, she left her room informing other doctors that she was experiencing a headache and stomach ache. She was later found in an unconscious state," Warangal police commissioner AV Ranganath said.

On her father's complaint, Mohammed Ali Saif, a second-year post-graduate student, was arrested by the police on charges of ragging, abetment to suicide and harassment under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Anti-Ragging Act.

The police commissioner told NDTV that the WhatsApp chats on the victim's and the accused's phones suggested ragging. "Further investigation will be conducted once the toxicology report comes in," he said.

The student's father Narender said they had complained against the senior student to the college and hospital authorities but no action was taken.

The victim's family refused to allow the body to be moved from NIMS, Hyderabad for post-mortem and then to their native village for last rites. 

Several lambada tribal unions also protested in front of NIMS at Hyderabad, Kakatiya Medical College and MGM Hospital at Warangal.

The National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for SC / ST has taken cognisance and issued notices to the government, superintendent of MGM Hospital, principal and head of department of anaesthesiology where Preethi was a student.

Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan had visited Preethi in hospital. A compensation of Rs 10 lakh has been announced for the family.

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