You don’t have brains: Safi to Preethi
Bandi Sanjay calls it case of Love Jihad
Governor asks DGP to conduct comprehensive inquiry
PNS|Hyderabad
Preethi, a first-year MD student of the Department of Anaesthesia at the Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) in Warangal, is suspected to have attempted suicide by taking an injection.
Doctors and the medical college’s HoDs told the police that this could be due to a fear of cardiac arrest. They also informed the police that she had some problems with her thyroid gland.
However, police suspect that the woman took some injections. “We have not reached any conclusion but going by WhatsApp chats and what had happened we think that it could have been a suicide attempt,” Ranganath said.
He said that in the anaesthesia emergency kit given to Preethi the seal of the succinylcholine injection was found intact.
The injection is used for nervous and muscular relaxation. “Preethi had searched on Google what happens when a healthy person takes succinylcholine,” the Commissioner said.
Two injection vials in the kit were found open. Police suspect that she took Fentanyl. This injection is used to relieve severe pain during and after surgery. “We are awaiting the toxicology report,” the Police Commissioner said.
Preethi is battling for life at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad. Minister Harish Rao visited NIMS hospital on Friday night and spoke to Preeti’s family members and consoled them. The minister assured that the government will stand by them and assured that the investigation will be conducted completely impartially and the culprits will be severely punished.
Hours after arresting Saif, Warangal Police Commissioner AV Ranganath told reporters that he has been booked in connection with Preethi’s suicide attempt.
The police also invoked the Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Anti-Ragging Act against Saif.
The Commissioner defended the police action saying insulting behaviour is also covered by anti-ragging laws.
“It is clear that there was targeted harassment of this woman by Saif. He made insulting remarks about her in a WhatsApp group,” he said.
The police have also retrieved data from the WhatsApp group of first and second-year MD students of Anaesthesia. After Saif made a remark in the group about a case sheet on February 18, Preethi sent him a personal message objecting to making remarks about her.
The woman had told other students that Saif had made the remark “you don’t have brains.”
Stating that the medical college has a bossism culture where junior students have to address seniors as sir the police official said Saif probably did not like Preethi challenging him.
On February 20, Preethi complained to her father Narendra about the harassment. He took up the issue with the police and subsequently the head of the department spoke to Saif and Preethi separately on February 21. Saif denied harassing the Preethi girl but she had a feeling that she was being harassed.
Preethi was on duty at the MGM Hospital on the night of February 21. The next morning, she was found unconscious by hospital staff. She was admitted in the same hospital and after her condition deteriorated she was shifted to NIMS in Hyderabad.
The woman’s father said that she attempted suicide due to harassment by her senior. He also claimed that the KMC authorities did not take action despite their complaint which resulted in the incident.
Meanwhile, the police have beefed up security at the KMC and MGM Hospital in view of protests by students’ bodies and political parties demanding action against the guilty.
KMC has formed a four-member committee to conduct an inquiry.
MGM Hospital Superintendent Dr V. Chandrasekhar has constituted a committee comprising four professors to conduct the inquiry. The panel will submit a report to the Director of Medical Education.
Meanwhile, Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay on Friday said that Warangal Kakathiya Medical College (KMC) Medico Preethi’s suicide attempt was 100 per cent a case of ‘Love Jihad’.
Sanjay demanded that the government should file a case against the culprit in the case invoking anti-ragging and love Jihad laws. Sanjay said that some people are harassing Hindu women and girls and targeting them.
The police sent the culprit to jail after filing a minor case thinking that people might attack him if he stays out of jail.
The Governor, Dr Tamilisai Soundarajan, sent a letter to the Chief Secretary and the DGP asking them to hold a comprehensive inquiry into the Warangal KMC Medico Preethi suicide attempt incident. She also demanded action against the persons responsible for the incident.
The Governor directly went to NIMS and inquired about the condition of Preethi on Thursday without going to the Raj Bhavan after returning from Puducherry.
The Governor sent letters to the CS and DGP after going to the Raj Bhavan demanding a probe into the reasons for Preethi’s suicide bid.
But Preethi’s sister lashed out at the Governor for keeping flower garland in her vehicle. Preethi’s sister asked whether the Governor came to place the garland on the body of her sister thinking that Preethi had died. “Is this the way a Governor should behave,” Preethi’s sister asked.
However, the Governor’s office clarified that the Governor visits the Hanuman temple on Khairathabad Main Road before entering the Raj Bhavan whenever she comes from another place to Hyderabad.
It is not proper to carry out false propaganda and give unintended meanings to the garland kept in the Governor’s vehicle, Dr Tamilsai’s office said.
The note from the Governor’s office clarified that the Governor had gone to the Hanuman Temple to pray for Preethi.
