Chennai, Feb 21 (BPNS)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has commenced an investigation into the suicide death of a schoolgirl at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. A team of officers from the premier 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 the Joint Director of the agency, 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 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 offenses punishable with imprisonment for life other imprisonments) under IPC.
The local police had also arrested the 67-year-old school warden who is a nun. The child who had consumed poison died on January 19th and there were allegations that the child committed suicide after attempts at forcible conversion by school authorities to Christianity.
It may be noted that after the accused school warden had come out of Jail on bail, a DMK MLA Inigo Irudayaraj garlanded her in front of the Tiruchirapalli jail which turned out to be a major war of words with the DMK on the one side and AIADMK, BJP combine on the other side.
The MLA told the press that the school warden had done a lot of service to the people of the nearby areas of Michaelpatti and that he had come to receive her outside the jail to express solidarity with her.
