#JusticeforSugaliPreethi: CBI probe notwithstanding, family of deceased Kurnool student meet PK

Amaravati: Eight years on, family members of Sugali Preethi, a class X student who died in a school hostel under suspicious conditions, met Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.

It was Pawan Kalyan who held a rally in Kurnool a few years back demanding justice for the victim.

The victim's parents, Sugali Raju Naik and Parvathi while speaking to Pawan Kalyan said the previous YSRC government issued a GO in 2020, handing over the case to the CBI, but there has been no progress so far.

The Case:

The case dates back to August 19, 2017, when a class X student, Preethi, was found dead in the Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy High School hostel, Kurnool in a mysterious condition.

While the school authorities stated that it was a suicide, her mother, Sugali Parvathi, alleged that it was a rape and murder by the owners of the school.

The parents received a call that day informing them that their daughter was unwell, asking them to come to school and take her to the hospital. Upon reaching the school, her father Raju was shocked to see his daughter dead.

According to the victim's mother, her daughter had wounds on her legs and hands, but the school authorities termed it as a suicide.

According to the parents who spoke to the media earlier, in one instance, their daughter complained about harassment by two men -Harshavardhan Reddy and Diwakar Reddy who used to trouble her in the night. The duo are the sons of the school correspondent Vallapureddy Janardhan Reddy.

Before the parents could approach the management on the issue, their daughter was found dead.

Based on the post-mortem report, a five-member committee appointed by the District Collector found many discrepancies in the case and stated that the victim had been sexually assaulted. The police registered a case against the school Correspondent Vallapureddy Janardhan Reddy and his sons Harshavardhan Reddy and Diwakar Reddy.

Justice for Sugali Preethi:

Eight years passed, her parents are still struggling to demand a fair investigation into the case of their daughter's rape and murder. Despite being physically challenged, her mother Paravathi launched a campaign #JusticeforSugaliPreethi and is still waiting for justice.

In 2020, when Pawan Kalyan was in the opposition, he launched a massive rally in Kurnool along with the victim's family demanding a speedy probe into the case. He questioned YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on why he was not taking corrective steps to bring justice to the victim.

In the same year , the family met former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and asked him to consider handing over the case to the CBI. Soon, a GO was issued, giving orders to the CBI to take up the case.

Even during the 2024 election campaign by the Janasena Party, Pawan Kalyan became furious at how the government at the time (YSRCP tenure) was more concerned about stone pelting incident against YS Jagan than addressing the rape and murder of Preethi.

Pawan Kalyan assured them to take up the issue with the higher authorities and bring the culprits to justice.