Suicide of school girl in TN: CBI commences investigation

Chennai, Feb 21 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has commenced an investigation into the suicide of a school girl at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. A team of officers from the investigating agency reached Michealpetti village in Thanjavur district on Monday to interrogate the authorities of the school where the 17-year-old girl was studying.

The CBI team led by Joint Director Vidya Jayant Kulkarni has interrogated a few teachers of the school and has also questioned the school warden. The team is also inspecting the school and its premises.

The parents of the deceased girl had in a plea to the Madras High Court requested for the transfer of the case to the CBI which was allowed and the court ordered a CBI investigation into the case.

The Thirukattupalli police had initially registered a case under the Juvenile Justice Act under the IPC sections, section 75 (punishment for cruelty to child), and section 82(!) (indulging in corporal punishment with the aim of disciplining a child). The police also registered cases under Section 305 ( abetment of suicide of child or insane person) and Section 511 (punishment for attempt to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life and other imprisonments) under IPC.

The local police had also arrested the 67-year-old school warden who is a nun. The girl who had consumed poison died on January 19 and there were allegations that she committed suicide after attempts at forcible conversion by the school authorities to Christianity.

After the accused school warden came out of jail on bail, a DMK MLA Inigo Irudayaraj garlanded her in front of the Tiruchirapalli jail which turned into a major war of words with the DMK on one side and the AIADMK-BJP combine on the other side.

The MLA told the press that the school warden had done a lot of service for the people of the nearby areas of Michaelpatti and that he had come to receive her outside the jail to express solidarity with her.

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