Telangana government’s order of suspending second year medical PG student of Kakatiya Medical College M.A. Saif Ali in the case of suicide of a first-year post-graduate medical student, Preethi, has been set aside by the Telangana High Court.
Justice Surepalli Nanda of the HC had set aside Dr. Saif’s suspension since the decision was against principles of natural justice, lawyer Srikanth Chinthala said on Tuesday. The judge, however, said the medical college authorities had the liberty to conduct the inquiry into the circumstances resulting in the PG student’s suicide and take a call on the findings of the inquiry.
On February 22, 2023, Mathwada police of Warangal Commissionerate registered a criminal case against Dr. Saif, a second-year medical PG student, on charges of driving Dr. Preethi belonging to a Scheduled Tribe to attempt suicide. Different sections of the Ragging Act and the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were also invoked against him.
A couple of days later, police arrested Dr. Saif while Dr. Preethi died at NIMS in Hyderabad after being shifted there for better medical assistance. KMC officials suspended Dr. Saif. He came out of prison on bail a couple of months later. Dr. Saif moved the HC by filing a writ petition challenging his suspension.
“We contended that Dr. Saif was not given the opportunity to explain his case,” lawyer Srikanth said. On March 2, the committee of the college met but did not take any decision over taking disciplinary action against him, the lawyer said. However, the next day it passed the suspension order.
Interestingly, the investigating officer of the ‘abetment to suicide case’ was in the committee that had decided upon the disciplinary action of suspending him, the lawyer said.
