Tamil Nadu Schoolgirl Suicide: Repeat Autopsy Ordered, Teachers Detained

The Madras High Court has ordered another round of post-mortem in the suicide case of a schoolgirl that has sparked tension in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi, about 260 km from Chennai.

The court's ruling comes a day after a mob went on a rampage on the campus of the private residential school following the student's death. The court has directed police to take tough action against the rioters and those who incited them.

Police have detained the principal secretary and correspondent of the school in connection with the suicide. More than a hundred suspects have been taken into custody for the rioting on campus.

The girl, police said, jumped from the third floor of the hostel on July 13. Her family has alleged that the two teachers had mentally harassed and humiliated her. Police said that the girl had left behind a note that says she was struggling in several subjects and alleges humiliation by her teachers for her academic performance.

Tamil Nadu | Violence broke out in Kallakurichi with protesters entering a school, setting buses ablaze, vandalising school property as they sought justice over the death of a Class 12 girl pic.twitter.com/1id0U9jVUW

— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2022

Police said the first post-mortem report mentions "abrasions". The girl's parents have alleged that a wall near the spot where she was found dead had the mark of a bloodied palm. They have claimed that his points to a physical struggle.

Relatives of the girl and people belonging to her village, Periyanasalur, in Cuddalore district have been staging protests.

Yesterday, a protest outside the school campus turned violent. Protesters clashed with police and set at least 15 buses on fire. The incident left several people, including senior police officers, injured. The district administration has issued prohibitory orders until July 31 to prevent any untoward incident.

The court has also asked police to take strict action against those conducting social media trials. It has said deaths in educational institutions must be investigated by the premier agency CB-CID in the future.