Police say the girl had not initially complained about the alleged conversion. (Representative)
Chennai:
The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Saturday directed the parents of a 17-year-old girl, who died by suicide on Wednesday – after her school warden alleged misbehavior and attempted to convert her to Christianity – He instructed to collect his body and perform the last rites. Today’s ritual
The girl’s father had moved the court seeking a probe by a team of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Tamil Nadu Police, besides requesting a second post-mortem.
The court turned down that request, but made a direct appointment of a magistrate to record the statement of the parents, which is to be produced by the court when the hearing resumes on Monday.
Initially it seemed that the Class XII student, who died ten days after consuming a poisonous substance, had only alleged misbehavior by her warden; He claimed that he forced her to clean his room,
However, in an unverified video that surfaced after her death, she also says: “Two years ago, once before me, he asked my father and mother if she (the warden) could convert me to Christianity.” … (said) she can educate me. Since then, she has been scolding me… I can’t stay here.”
Asked specifically if she is being targeted for not converting, the girl replies: “Maybe.”
Police are looking for the man who filmed and leaked the video in violation of the Juvenile Justice Act. Today the court also urged the police to focus on the circumstances that led to the death of the girl.
The warden has been arrested under the Juvenile Act and has also been charged with abetment to suicide.
Police have increased their inquiries and are talking to classmates and others who knew the girl.
Ravali Priya Gandhapuneni, a senior police officer, said, “We video-recorded her complaint, her statement to the judicial magistrate and her pre-death statement. She did not say anything about conversion nor did her parents allege it. We are now probing that too.” Told NDTV.
The state unit of the BJP, which is in opposition, has called the incident “forced conversions”, and has begun to red flag it as part of its push for anti-conversion laws, controversial versions of which have already been implemented by states. have been passed. The party is in power.
State unit leader K Annamalai, a former IPS officer, also violated the law by tweeting a video of the girl; He demanded a fair investigation and arrest of those responsible. Describing the conversion as a “rapidly spreading poisonous plant”, he urged the ruling DMK to “control it”.
There is no law against conversion in Tamil Nadu. The DMK is yet to comment on the incident.
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