LI Network
Published on: 29 August 2023 at 10:30 IST
The Telangana High Court has instructed the State to provide an affidavit detailing the steps taken to prevent ragging within educational institutions across the state, in line with the guidelines outlined by the Supreme Court.
The Division Bench comprising Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar issued the order in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed after a case of caste-based ragging resulted in the death of a first-year student from Kakatiya Medical College (KMC).
The court stated, “The Learned Government Pleader for Medical, Health and Family Welfare shall state on affidavit, whether the aforesaid Guidelines (as laid down in Vishwa Jagriti Mission v/s. Central Government) are being adhered to by the authorities in the State of Telangana.”
The victim, Dr. Dharavath Preethi, was a first-year student pursuing an MD Anaesthesia course. She joined the college in November 2022 and was a member of the Schedule Tribe community. She faced continuous harassment due to her caste from her classmate Saif.
Despite bringing the issue to the attention of the Head of Department and local Police, no action was taken. Even after her father lodged a complaint with the police, the situation remained unchanged.
Allegedly, the harassment escalated when Saif and other students injected poison into her on the night of February 21, 2023. Despite efforts, she could not be saved and succumbed to her injuries after five days.
The petitioner, M. Malliah, President of Telangana State Schedule Tribe Employee Welfare Association, approached the court seeking the registration of an FIR against all involved parties, a transparent investigation, and appropriate compensation and punishment.
The court also instructed authorities to submit a report detailing actions taken against those responsible.
“Learned Government Pleader for Home shall also apprise this Court with regard to the action taken by the Commissioner of Police against the delinquents.”
Both reports are expected to be submitted within two weeks, after which the case will be revisited.
Case Title: M. Malliah vs. State of Telangana.
