Student unions up in arms against TS DME; question his clean chit in 'ragging' incident

Hyderabad: Students affiliated to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and SFI are up in arms against the State Director of Medical Education demanding justice for Dr Preethi, a post-graduate medical student of Kakaitya Medical College, Warangal.

State ABVP secretary Jhansi said a protest was staged before the TSDME because Dr Preethi was subjected to sexual harassment by a senior. All her pleas to the college authorities on the harassment left no tangible results forcing her to make an suicide attempt.

The student while on duty in KMC was allegedly harassed by another student Asif Shafi repeatedly. Earlier, faced with similar troubles she had reported the issue to the KMC authorities who turned a blind eye.

Jhansi said the carelessness of the KMC authorities was the reason for Dr Preethi to resort to suicide attempt.

She demanded immediate action against the accused who harassed her and revocation of his medical degree.

She criticised the police's highhandedness against the ABVP activists staging a peaceful protest and lodging them in Sultan Bazar police station. She warned that the ABVP would launch a State-wide agitation if justice is not done to DrPreethi.

The SFI also decided to protest on February 24 before the TSDME. It took strong exception to the DME giving a clean chit to the accused allegedly involved in the raging incident and gave a call for State-wide protests on Friday.

The SFI demanded immediate arrest of seniors who harassed her and action against the KMC principal.

State SFI president R L Murthy said the principal has not only failed to create awareness of laws relating to ragging, but also acted in a negligent manner.

He said the number of ragging incidents has been growing in Telangana; the KMC incident is the third in a row.

Besides creating awareness on anti-ragging Acts, SFI State secretary T Nagaraju said conducting elections to students unions in colleges would help in preventing such incidents.

He demanded the government to immediately take action in that direction.