Hyderabad: The Hyderabad HC has come to the rescue of a lady doctor who had been fighting for promotion for the last 12 years.

A division bench comprising Justice K.C. Bhanu and Justice Ms Anis allowed a plea by Dr Sowjanya Kumari, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBG) at Tirupati, and directed the AP government to continue her as associate professor from 2003 onwards.

The court said that she should be considered for promotion to the post of professor by taking into account her service from 2003.

Dr Sowjanya Kumari was appointed as assistant professor in 1987 and was promoted as associate professor in 2003 and became professor in 2004.

In 2005 she was reverted as associate professor and then as assistant professor. Then she approached the AP Administrative Tribunal.

The tribunal quashed the reversion orders in 2006 and directed the government to continue her as associate professor from 2003. But the government rejected the orders and continued her as assistant professor.

The authorities rejected her application for promotion as professor and the tribunal also dismissed her plea. Then she moved the High Court challenging the tribunal order.

Dr K. Lakshmi Narasimha, the counsel for the petitioner, said she was promoted under the SC quota for women and that was endorsed by the Supreme Court. He contended that denying her rightful promotion amounted to a gross insult of the law.

Allowing the plea, the bench held that the action of the government in not continuing her as associate professor was illegal and not supported by any law as she was validly promoted in 2003 under the SC quota.

When contacted Dr Sowjanya said, "Ultimately justice has prevailed. I had struggled a lot for the past 12 years. At least now I hope that the government will act swiftly to extend justice to me."