The father of a Class 12 student in Kallakurichi whose death has sparked protests in Chinnasalem, has moved the Madras High Court seeking a second postmortem examination and transfer of probe to the CBCID, a special investigation wing of the state police. The 16-year-old girl studying in class 12 died on July 12, and the parents allege foul play behind her death.
The petition filed by Ramalingam, her 47-year-old father, stated that it was necessary to conduct a second postmortem examination to “unearth the truth behind the suspicious death”. The girl was a student of Sakthi Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Kaniyamoor of Chinnasalem. He also requested the court to transfer the investigation to CBCID.
In the petition, he alleged that the school correspondent compulsorily admitted her to the hostel. He also says that there was no blood on the spot where she was said to have fallen and that there were signs of struggle between her and somebody. The petition said there were injuries all over her body and blood marks on the wall of the school.
The girl died at her hostel on July 12 and a note was found in her room in which she alleged that two teachers at the school “tortured” her, leading to her suicide. A case has been registered under section 174(1) of the CrPC but no arrests have been made so far. On Sunday morning, protesters clashed with the police, and pelted stones at them, smashing police vehicles with sticks. They also rammed tractors into school buses and torched them. Parts of the building have also been set on fire.
As per reports, the girl’s body was found a day after her death by a watchman at the building and she was rushed to a nearby government hospital, where she was declared dead. However, the girl’s family alleges that her death was not by suicide.
Speaking to TNM, her uncle Sabarinathan said, “The child’s death was not a suicide. It is clear from the fact that what we saw is different from what the school is claiming. Her body has several injuries but the school claims that she died of suicide.” There are also allegations of similar deaths that happened in the school before.