Scuffle as police prevent girls' kin from taking bodies into school

Families demand action against teachers

 A scuffle broke out outside the Mary Immaculate School in Lakkasandra Extension, off Adugodi, on Wednesday as police prevented the families of two Class 10 girl students, who committed suicide by jumping into the Sankey Tank on Tuesday, from taking their bodies into the institution’s
premises.

The families of Priyanka and Sonali Tandi attempted to take the bodies into the school in order to stage a protest against the way their wards were “harassed” by the teachers for taking part in Holi celebrations.

But the police, who had erected barricades outside the school gate, prevented the families from sneaking in. In the melee, a scuffle broke out. As the families tried to push their way through the barricades, policemen shoved them. At one point, one of the bodies almost fell off the stretcher.

When the police refused to budge, the families placed the bodies outside the school, prompting many students to pay their last respect to their departed classmates.
Priyanka’s body was later taken to her grandmother’s house while Sonali’s mortal remains were taken to the St Anthony’s Friary Church for a mass.

Sonali’s brother Bruno Michael Tandi said his sibling had been excited about her upcoming birthday in April. She wanted him to buy her clothes and shoes she had already picked. “I promised to take her shopping on Sunday, but she did not live to make it,” a mournful Michael told Deccan Herald. “She would confide in me and share all her problems. She had told me about the harassment by teachers, but I never thought she would take such an extreme step.”

Priyanka’s father, Janardhan who works for the Fire and Emergency Services department, said that life did not make any sense to him as his daughter would never come back.

“I knew about the harassment that she suffered at the school. She often told me how she was ill-treated in the class. But I never really bothered to transfer her to a different school as it was her last year. In hindsight, I should have done it.”

FSL to check handwriting

The suicide letter, allegedly left by one of the girls, would be sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory, for an analysis of the handwriting, according to a senior police officer.

It has to be investigated who actually wrote the suicide letter found in the school bag of one of the girls on a bench at Sankey Tank, the police officer said.
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who visited the school, went through the note and assured the girls’ parents that action would be taken against the guilty once the probe was completed.