The Thirukattupalli police have booked a case under Juvenile Justice Act against the warden of a girls’ hostel run by a Christian missionary organisation in Budalur taluk following an inmate’s death by suicide.
According to the FIR, the class XII girl at Michalepatti was staying at the school hostel. She alleged that the warden scolded and ordered her to do domestic chores on January 9 and subjected her to cruelty. Unable to bear this, she allegedly attempted to end her life.
She was taken to the house of a nurse by the hostel cook, where she was administered an injection and prescribed medicines.
The following day, she was handed over to her parents residing at Vadugampalayam near Ariyalur and on January 15, she was taken to the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital as her condition deteriorated. The girl gave a statement to the police implicating the warden and died on January 19 at the hospital.
The police arrested the 67-year old warden under Sections 75 (punishment for cruelty to child) and 82[1] (indulging in corporal punishment with the aim of disciplining a child) of the Juvenile Justice Act and IPC Section 305 (abetment of suicide of child or insane person) and section 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonments). Following her death, additional charges would be pressed against the accused, police said.
Meanwhile, a video clip of the girl, apparently recorded in hospital, claiming the warden had persistently asked her and her family members to undergo religious conversion was being shared on social media.
On Thursday, her family members and BJP cadres led by party State vice-president Karuppu Muruganandam, staged a demonstration on the Medical College Road demanding the warden be booked for attempted religious conversion. The agitators were detained and released.
Ensure fair probe
Meanwhile, BJP State president K. Annamalai urged the government to ensure a fair probe into the allegation of attempted religious conversion. He said the FIR did not mention about the “forced conversion”.
He also called for enacting an “anti-conversion” law.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)