The Matwada police on Friday arrested Dr. M. A. Saif, a second-year post-graduate medical student of the Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) in connection with the alleged suicide attempt by first year PG medical student D. Preethi of the same college while on duty at MGM hospital in Warangal on Wednesday morning.
Dr. Preethi, who allegedly attempted suicide at the MGM hospital due to “targeted harassment” by Dr. Saif, her senior PG (MD) student in anaesthesia, is now battling for life at the NIMS in Hyderabad.
Dr. Preethi’s father Narender, an ASI in the Railway Protection Force, lodged a complaint against Dr. Saif at Matwada police station accusing him of persistently harassing his daughter.
The police booked Dr. Saif on charges of instigating Dr. Preethi to attempt suicide by subjecting her to constant harassment by posting “insulting comments” on her on the WhatsApp groups maintained by some of the PG medical first and second year students of the KMC.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Warangal Police Commissioner A. V. Ranganath said that Dr. Saif was arrested based on a complaint filed by the father of Dr. Preethi under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 4 of the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act.
We have analysed the WhatsApp chats which revealed that the accused resorted to targeted harassment of Dr. Preethi to insult her.
“The intelligent and brave girl, who attended the UPSC interview in the past, expressed her anguish over his “bossism” and “persistent harassment” through WhatsApp chat.”
“She searched on Google on what will happen if a healthy person takes certain anaesthesia drugs. It could be an attempt to commit suicide,” he said, adding that it was too early to come to a conclusion on this at this juncture.
Mr. Ranganath said: “We are awaiting toxicology report from the NIMS hospital which will help ascertain the facts.”
Referring to some unsubstantiated allegations being circulated on social media, he said there is no laxity on the part of the police in attending to the complaint filed by the father of Dr. Preethi. An impartial and discrete investigation is underway into the case, he asserted.
