Dr Preethi, who allegedly tried to end her life at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, breathed her last in Hyderabad on 26 February.
Dr. K Nagarjuna Reddy was the HoD of first year PG doctor Dr Preethi and second year PG doctor Dr SA Saif. (Supplied)
As the suicide of Dr Dharawat Preethi — a first-year postgraduate doctor at the Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) in the Warangal district of Telangana — created a furore across the country, the Telangana Health Department transferred the college’s Head of the Department of Anesthesia, Dr K Nagarjuna Reddy.
Preethi, who apparently tried to end her life at the state-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital, breathed her last in Hyderabad on Sunday, 26 February.
Reddy was the HoD for both Preethi and second-year PG student Dr SA Saif — who is accused of driving her to suicide. He has been transferred to the Government Medical College in Bhupalpally.
“In the circumstances reported by Director of Medical Education Dr.K.Nagarjuna Reddy, Professor & HOD of Anaesthesia, Warangal is hereby transferred and posted as Professor of Anesthesia Government Medical College, Bhupalpally on administrative grounds with Kakatiya Medical College, Hanumakonda/MGM Hospital immediate effect [sic],” read the order by the Telangana Health and Family Welfare Department Secretary SAM Rizvi.
Warangal Commissioner of Police (CP) AV Ranganath told reporters that there was apparently a targeted harassment of Preethi by the senior at Kakatiya, Dr SA Saif, which could have driven her to attempt suicide.
Hours after arresting Saif, the officer said he was booked for the woman’s attempted suicide.
The police also invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Anti-Ragging Act against the accused.
“It is clear that there was targeted harassment of this girl by Saif. He was making remarks to insult her in a WhatsApp group,” said Ranganath.
The police have retrieved the data from the WhatsApp groups of first and second-year MD students of anaesthesia.
After Saif made a remark in the group about a case sheet on 18 February, Preethi sent him a personal message objecting to it. She reportedly told other students that Saif had said that “You don’t have brains”.
Stating that the medical college had a culture where junior students had to address their seniors as “sir”, the police official said Saif probably did not like the woman questioning him.
After the alleged harassment incident on 18 February, Preethi’s father gave an oral complaint to the local police station. The cops intimated the principal, who passed on the information to Reddy.
According to Ranganath, Reddy spoke to Saif and then Preethi. Saif was warned against such behaviour and let off.
Also, Reddy, in a recent interaction with reporters, defended the actions of Saif.
Also, on Monday, during an anti-ragging meeting, he stated that Saif had not harassed Preethi.
May 18, 2024
May 18, 2024
May 18, 2024
May 18, 2024
May 18, 2024
May 18, 2024
