Ahead of PM Modi’s Kurnool Visit, Sugali Preethi’s Mother Placed Under House Arrest

The TDP-led NDA government, which had promised justice for Sugali Preethi, has now placed her mother, Sugali Parvathi, under house arrest to prevent her from meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Srisailam on October 16 (Thursday) to offer prayers at the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Varla Devasthanam, before proceeding to Kurnool to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth ₹13,430 crore.

In this context, Sugali Parvathi had announced her intention to meet the Prime Minister and submit a petition seeking justice for her daughter.

The case dates back to August 19, 2017, when Preethi was found dead in the hostel of Kattamanchi Ramalingareddy Residential School on the outskirts of Kurnool. While the school management claimed she had died by suicide, her parents, Nayak and Parvathi Devi, alleged that she had been sexually assaulted and murdered by the sons of the school head.

Following their complaint, a case was registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the POCSO Act, leading to the arrest of the accused. They were later released on bail, after which Preethi’s parents approached then Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He ordered a CBI probe, but the agency failed to take up the case, prompting the parents to move the High Court on September 11, 2020. The court subsequently directed the CBI to respond.

In its counter affidavit, the CBI informed the court that it lacked the resources to pursue further investigation and sought the dismissal of the petition demanding a central probe.

Ahead of the 2024 elections, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan — now the Deputy Chief Minister — had promised justice for Preethi. However, no action followed after the TDP-led alliance assumed power. In response, Sugali Parvathi resumed her protests, accusing Pawan Kalyan of exploiting her daughter’s death for political gain.

Facing pressure from Parvathi, civic groups, and opposition parties, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials in September to hand over the case to the CBI.

Despite this, Parvathi continued her agitation and even sought BJP State President P.V.N. Madhav’s help to secure an appointment with the Prime Minister. As Madhav failed to respond, Parvathi decided to head to the venue of PM Modi's programme and try to meet him. 

However, the ruling alliance reportedly placed her under detention, citing security concerns, in a bid to prevent her from meeting the Prime Minister.

Speaking to the media, Sugali Parvathi demanded to know why the ruling alliance was against her meeting PM Modi. 

Highlighting that Pawan Kalyan had promised to take up Sugali Preethi's case soon after coming to power, Parvathi remarked, "The Deputy Chief Minister has failed to keep his promise. Forget taking up the case, Pawan Kalyan has not even spoken about the case after the alliance won the elections. On one hand, the TDP government is not allowing me to take up a protest, demanding justice for my daughter. On the other, they are creating hurdles when I approach the court for seeking permission. What exactly are they scared of?"

Warning Pawan Kalyan, she said, "Everybody is watching how you are changing your words and failing to keep promises."