Hand over cellphone of Kallakurichi private school girl, parents told

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday ordered the parents of Kallakurichi private school student, who was found dead on the premises on July 13, to hand over her cellphone to the investigating agency.

Justice V Sivagnanam passed the orders when a petition filed by the girl’s father Ramalingam came up for hearing. He said the cellphone conversations were required to ascertain the circumstances of the death.
As the petitioner seeks a fair probe, he should hand over the cellphone to assist in the investigation, the judge ordered. The matter was posted on December 15.

Earlier, State Public Prosecutor (SPP) Hasan Mohammed Jinnah submitted two reports of the special investigation team (SIT) and the CB-CID in the court. He told the judge that girl’s parents had not handed over the cellphone despite an earlier order. Counsel for the petitioner Sankarasubbu asked why the authorities were insistent on the cellphone when they were able to investigate without it. 

A division bench of Justices PN Prakash and RMT Teekaa Raman ordered the Home Secretary and Kallakurichi collector to file responses to a plea challenging the detention of Vijay, an accused in the riots, under the Goondas Act. The death of the girl in private school at Kaniyamoor, Kallakurichi sparked riots. Subsequently, the court ordered the SIT to probe the incident.