Tamil Nadu schoolgirl death: What triggered Kallakurichi arson?

CHENNAI: What triggered the arson and violence at the school campus in Kallakurichi on Sunday? The police believe that social media played a critical role in amplifying the doubts about foul play in the death of a Class-XII girl studying in that school. The pictures and posts on the materials recovered from the hostel, the blood-stained walls, and youngsters assembling to protest could have led to the mobilisation. The police are also investigating the possibility of involvement of groups, and whether there was any resentment against the school.

The social media cell of the police in Chennai analysed around 500 posts – memes, videos, and comments – that found fault with school authorities. Preliminary inquiry revealed that the protesters assembled outside the school premises after messages were circulated on a new Whatsapp group. “The protesters were unrelated to the student and her family,” said a senior officer. “They sought to provoke the police by torching vehicles, attacking, and hurling stones.” Around 50 protesters and 57 police personnel were injured in the violence.
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Most of the messages on social media spread information that the school authorities were at fault and that there should be justice for the girl who died. The school did not try to address the circumstances around which the student was found dead. This too seems to have fanned the anger. Many of the videos and posts bordered on glorifying the protests which also encouraged more people to join. A few videos with background music showed youngsters driving down Salem highway on more than 100 bikes which led to more people assembling.

The Chinna Salem police have arrested 120 suspects who were directly involved in the violence and another 209 based on videos. The girl’s death has been registered as a case of suspected unnatural death. On Sunday, DGP C Sylendra Babu ordered the transfer of the girl’s suicide case to CB-CID, while the violence at the school premises and torching of three police vehicles, four tractors, and 15 school buses is being probed by the Chinna Salem police station.

The CB-CID police have started their probe. Earlier, the police arrested the school correspondent Ravi Kumar, 44, his wife and secretary of the school Santhi Ravi Kumar, 44, the principal Siva Sankaran, 57, chemistry teacher Hari Priya, 40, and maths teacher and hostel warden Kiruthika, 28.