Conversion angle should have been avoided in Lavanya suicide case: Madras High Court

Chennai: Without taking the name of BJP leaders, the Madras High Court has come down heavily against them for suspecting religious conversion behind the suicide of a 17-year-old student in 2022, even as it refused to quash the chargesheet filed against the hostel warden for allegedly abetting the girl’s suicide.

Justice G Ilangovan of the Madurai Bench appreciated the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for bringing out the truth in an honest manner by arguing that there was no ground reason for suspecting the allegation of conversion.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai led his party leaders in January 2022 to allege that Lavanya, a 12th standard student of Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School in Michaelpatti in Thanjavur district, died by suicide due to alleged pressure from Sagaya Mary, her hostel warden, to convert to Christianity.

While the Tamil Nadu Police rejected the allegations as “baseless”, BJP leaders continued to allege religious conversion as the reason behind the girl’s suicide. The BJP had also targeted the then Thanjavur SP for ruling out the conversion angle as the party took the issue to the town to put the DMK government in the dock.

Eventually, the girl’s father moved the High Court, whose judge justice G R Swaminathan, recommended a probe by the CBI, which categorically said religious conversion wasn’t the reason for Lavanya’s suicide.

“These things ought to have been avoided by the responsible persons. But damage ought not to have been made. But made, which cannot be repaired now. But this fact is not relevant for considering this petition,” justice Ilangovan said.

The 17-year-old girl, who was studying at the Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School in Michaelpatti in Thanjavur district, consumed poison on January 9, 2022 and died 10 days later at a hospital.

In his order dated December 16, justice Ilangovan said he was of the view that this is not a “fittest case” to exercise the jurisdiction under section 482 Cr.P.C to quash the proceedings. “But however, considering the position of the petitioner, her personal appearance before the trial court is dispensed with,” the judge wrote in his order.

The judge also said the trial will look at whether the warden's intention was good or bad, adding that other points raised by the warden also could be considered at the time of trial.

The girl, in videos shot at the hospital where she was admitted after taking the extreme step, had accused the hostel warden of burdening her by assigning her non- academic chores and, unable to bear the same, she consumed the pesticide.