The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday transferred the probe into the death by suicide of a schoolgirl, who was studying at a Christian Missionary-run school in Thanjavur district, to the CBI.
Justice G.R. Swaminathan observed that the court had a duty to render posthumous justice to the child. The court observed that State Ministers had taken a stand on the issue, and the Thanjavur Superintendent of Police had ruled out the religious conversion angle. The foregoing circumstances, cumulatively taken, would definitely create an impression that the investigation was not proceeding along the right lines, the judge observed.
Considering that the Ministers had taken a stand and the Superintendent of Police had also ruled out the religious conversion angle, the parents did not have faith in the investigation conducted by the State police, the judge said. The investigation cannot continue with the State police. Therefore, the probe is transferred to the CBI, the judge said.
The parents of the girl had alleged that the girl was forced to do domestic chores at the school hostel and was asked to convert to Christianity. They had initially sought a CB-CID probe; but had later sought a CBI probe into the case. The State had submitted that the investigation was progressing along the right lines.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050).