The death of two Intermediate first year girl students Malepadu Nandini and Chavva Manisha Reddy in Narayana Junior College hostel at Krishnapuram in Kadapa on Monday evening is snowballing into a major issue, with Opposition Leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy demanding a judicial inquiry.
The YSRC president, who was in Kadapa on Tuesday to console support the parents of the girls demanded a second post-mortem of the bodies in Hyderabad and students launched widespread protests.
Mr. Jagan demanded arrest of Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana, who owned the college. He gave a call for Kadapa city bandh on Wednesday. Eleven students, including nine girls and two boys, had died in Narayana junior colleges in the State - four in Nellore, two each in Tirupati and Kadapa and one each in Anantapur, Kurnool and Krishna district - in the last 15 months, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy said.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was unconcerned at the deaths as he has a stake in Narayana educational institutions, he alleged and asked if any CM would be silent if so many deaths take place in any other institution. “It is hard to believe that Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, who was in Kadapa till 6.30 p.m., was unaware of the deaths that occurred at 4.30 p.m.”, he said.
Mr. Chandrababu Naidu never cared to enquire about the deaths, visit the college or console the parents, he said. A “love letter” theory was floated today to save the college authorities and cast aspersions on the dead girls, who had passed SSC barely three months ago, he commented.
Expressing doubts on the deaths and the post-mortem, he said that the doctor at RIMS was unable to state whether they died before or after hanging, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy said. He demanded a re-post mortem at Hyderabad.
Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy, Kadapa Mayor K. Suresh Babu, Kamalapuram MLA P. Raveendranath Reddy, Railway Kodur MLA K. Srinivasulu and other party leaders were present.
