Hyderabad: Protests broke out in the city and elsewhere following the alleged suicide of Marri Pravallika, a 23-year-old student preparing for government recruitment tests.
Protesters chanted "We Want Justice," and blocked traffic at several places, especially in Ashoknagar, Chikkadpally and RTC crossroads where the protests lasted till dawn.
Protesters who gathered at Pravallika’s hostel in Ashoknagar, damaged a bus stop and did not allow the police to shift her body to the Gandhi Hospital for a long time. DYFI state president Kota Ramesh said they prevented the police from handing over the body to her parents at the hospital.
"Political parties, with their mala fide intentions, provoked the gathering due to which the protesters," said Central zone DCP M. Venkateshwarlu.
He said the protesters pelted the police with stones, injuring ACP K.V.R. Satyanarayana and sub-inspector Tharun. Elsewhere, Abdullapurmet constable B. Satish was injured when the wheels of a milk van ran over his feet during the protests.
P. Gurunath Reddy, who resides in the hostel's vicinity, said: "The mob here was out of control. The police had to disperse them with a lathi-charge."
The body was taken to her native village Bikkajipally in Duggondi mandal of Warangal district on Saturday, where the last rites were performed. Representatives of political parties and student organisations took part and demanded compensation for her family.
All India Students Federation (AISF) activists at Osmania University pledging to secure justice for Pravallika. AISF OU assistant secretary Sai Bhagat said that despite numerous protests, suicides among unemployed students had persisted throughout the nine years of BRS rule.
While the police reported that Pravallika's suicide was related to a love affair, many aspirants suspected a cover-up.
Rajashekar Adavat, inmate of a hostel next to the one where Pravallika stayed, said, "I can't believe they've resorted to character assassination of a young girl.” He claimed her parents had asked her to go home as there were no exams for a while, which hurt her deeply.
B. Lokesh, 30, an MSc student JNTU-H, who took part in the protest, said he had dropped out of a private company to prepare for government exams and the two cancellations of Group-1 prelims had hurt him. Many students were on the brink of taking decisions like Pravallika, he claimed.
J. Saiteja, an engineer, said a group of fourth year students had gone to meet the TSPSC chairman and education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy seeking to be allowed to write the government exams but was brushed off. The UPSC allows them to do so, he said.
Another aspirant, S. Revan, said the frequent postponement of exams was affecting his schedule. “The Group-2 exam now rescheduled for January will disturb my preparation for the UPSC exam in May," he said. The government should come out with a calendar for exams, said G. Vamsi another aspirant.
According to sources at the hostel, Pravallika returned to her room around 8.30 pm on Friday.
G. Sailaja, Pravallika's friend, said she went upstairs to call her to have dinner, but was shocked to find her lifeless. They informed the hostel warden, who duly called the police.
