Madras HC orders CBI probe into TN girl's suicide case

Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) a case relating to the suicide of a 17-year-old student, after passing stinging remarks against the Tamil Nadu government and Thanjavur district police over their attempts to “derail the investigation.”

Justice G R Swaminathan castigated Thanjavur District Superintendent of Police Ravali Priya for forgetting the “virtue of silence” as she ruled out the conversion angle. In one of the videos shot before the girl died she had said her hostel warden had attempted to convert her to Christianity two years ago.

Referring to an interview of School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in which he said a departmental enquiry and police probe ruled out conversion angle, the judge said the investigation cannot continue with the state police since a “high ranking” minister himself has taken a stand.

“I, therefore, direct the Director, Central Bureau of Investigation, New Delhi to assign an officer to take over the investigation from the State Police. The criminal original petition is allowed on these terms,” the judge said in his 34-page order.

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 and died 10 days later at a hospital. While the BJP alleged that the girl died by suicide due to attempts to convert her to Christianity, the state police refuted the claim.

The father of the girl filed the petition in the Madurai Bench on January 21 seeking a CB-CID probe but he changed his opinion and sought a probe by CBI during the last hearing on January 28. The BJP welcomed the verdict expressing hope that the CBI probe will bring the truth out.

He also quoted a few films that talk about conversion and referred to a book that establishes the links which the Goan society developed in response to conversion, Christianisation and colonisation. The judge also said the place where the school is situated is known as Michaelpatti, and that it could not have been the original name.

“There is an interesting discussion as to how the various areas in Chennai acquired their respective names in V Sriram's “Chennai”. Someone can undertake a similar exercise for Michaelpatti also. Therefore, there is nothing inherently improbable in the allegation that there was an attempt at conversion. It could be true or false,” Justice Swaminathan said.

The judge said the girl had directly and in unambiguous terms accused that the hostel warden had burdened her by assigning her non-academic chores and unable to bear the same, she consumed the pesticide. Instead of filing an alteration report based on the complaint of the petitioner, the judge said, a case was booked under various sections and the District SP chose to hold a press conference.

“By stating that the conversion angle stood ruled out, the Superintendent of Police had brushed aside the petitioner's complaint made in writing and backed by the video of the child. Therefore, the petitioner was justified in entertaining an impression that if the investigation continued by the District Police, it will be biased,” Justice Swaminathan said in his order.

“I fail to understand as to why the Thanjavur Superintendent of Police reacted as if she had come in contact with a live electric wire. After all, an allegation has been made that there was an attempt to convert. The school in question is run by a Congregation,” the judge observed and referred to a verse in the Bible which seeks for preaching the “gospel” to every creature.

He also faulted the District SP for ruling out conversion angle and instead directing the jurisdictional police to conduct an investigation.

“But the truth of the matter is that she had before her two more materials, namely, the private video and the parent's petition. Instead of ordering the investigation officer to take the additional materials to account, the SP directed the local police to register an FIR against the person who had taken the video,” he said.

The judge also said Lord Ganesh has been his favourite deity since childhood and that the idol he worships daily has been named “Fr Pillaiyar” because it was gifted to him by senior counsel Fr Xavier Arul Raj, who represented the school.

“When the learned Senior Counsel asserted that he does not believe in conversion, I knew that he was speaking from his heart. But the question is whether Sister Saghayamary (the warden) and Sister Rachel Mary (school head) are made of the same fibre. I hope investigation by CBI will bring out the truth,” he concluded.

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