On August 19, 2017, 15-year-old tribal student Sugali Preethi was found dead under suspicious circumstances in the hostel of Chittamanchi Ramalinga Reddy Residential High School near Kurnool. The school management declared it a suicide, but her parents alleged she was raped and murdered, and her death staged as suicide.
Preethi had confided in her parents days before that she was being harassed at night in the hostel by Harshavardhan Reddy and Divakar Reddy, sons of the school correspondent Vallapureddy Janardhan Reddy. She told her parents she was scared to continue in the hostel. They had planned to meet the school management on August 20, but tragically, Preethi was found dead the morning before. Her mother, Sugali Parvathi, observed injuries on her daughter’s body and asserted it was not natural death but a brutal crime.
A case was registered at Kurnool IV Town Police Station under serious charges including murder (IPC 302), SC/ST Atrocities Act provisions, and POCSO Act. The accused were remanded briefly and later released on bail. A five-member inquiry committee, appointed by the district collector, submitted a report on September 13, 2017, pointing out glaring doubts:
Injuries on Preethi’s neck were inconsistent with hanging, raising suspicion of murder.
CCTV footage showed Preethi returning to her room due to menstrual discomfort, but footage from then onwards was missing.
The absence of her sanitary napkin near the body heightened suspicion.
The committee found clear signs of sexual assault before death and recommended DNA testing of all male hostel staff.
The post-mortem confirmed sexual assault, with semen traces found in swabs. However, police delayed sending samples to the forensic lab, raising allegations of tampering. Despite strong evidence, police under political pressure diluted the charges, dropping murder and rape, and filed only “abetment of suicide” charges. Reports claimed that then-TDP leaders, including Mandra Shivananda Reddy and Education Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, influenced police to shield the accused.
Parvathi’s ongoing fight and YS Jagan’s Support
Since then, Preethi’s parents and Dalit-tribal organizations have continuously fought for justice, staging protests and hunger strikes. Student unions rallied behind the family. In contrast, Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP government washed its hands by setting up committees and ignoring justice.
After YSR Congress Party came to power, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy extended real support to Preethi’s family. In 2020, the Jagan government handed the case over to the CBI through a government order, following SIT reinvestigation. In 2021, the family was provided with Rs. 8 lakh financial aid, 5 acres of agricultural land, 5 cents of housing land, and a government job for Preethi’s father.
However, in February 2025, after years of delay, the CBI informed the High Court that it could not continue investigation due to lack of resources. This shocked the family, who had hoped for justice through a central probe.
Pawan Kalyan’s political opportunism
During opposition, Pawan used the Sugali Preethi case as a political tool, making emotional promises to her family and vowing that his first signature in power would be on Preethi’s file.
He repeatedly blamed YS Jagan, despite the fact that the crime occurred during Chandrababu’s regime and that only Jagan’s government gave financial, land, and job support to the family.
After becoming Deputy Chief Minister in 2024, Pawan abandoned his promises. He has not followed up with the Centre on CBI action, nor raised the issue in the Assembly. Instead, he is now falsely claiming that he ensured justice, while shamelessly appropriating the credit due to YS Jagan.
Parvathi, despite her disability, has been staging protests, digital campaigns, and even preparing for hunger strikes, accusing Pawan of betrayal. She has openly questioned whether Pawan is protecting Chandrababu’s role in suppressing the case and tampering with DNA samples during his earlier regime.
The Real Betrayal
While Pawan Kalyan now speaks of “carrying Chandrababu in a palanquin for 15 years,” he has betrayed the trust of Preethi’s family and the people of Andhra Pradesh. His silence on the case, his failure to act as Deputy CM, and his refusal to question Chandrababu expose his political opportunism.
YS Jagan gave land, money, and jobs to Preethi’s family. Pawan gave only false promises and betrayal.
