Religious conversion row: Madras HC orders CBI probe into 17-year-old Thanjavur schoolgirl’s suicide case

Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court (HC) on Monday directed the CBI to take over investigation from Tamil Nadu police into the suicide of a 17-year-old Class 12 girl student of a Christian missionary school in Thanjavur district.

Justice G.R.Swaminathan passed the order on a petition filed by the deceased girl M.Lavanya's father S.Muruganantham, seeking to transfer the investigation from Thirukkattupalli police in Thanjavur district to the CB-CID or any other independent investigation agency and file final report within a stipulated period.

During the course of the hearing, the counsel appearing for the petitioner said “they have lost faith in the State police also for the reason that they have deliberately leaked the materials which were in their exclusive possession and hence the case warrants transfer of investigation to CBI.”

Mr.Swaminathan observed that he finds merit in the petitioner's counsel's contention that the police, instead of finding out the truth of the allegations made by the deceased victim, have been trying to bolster the counter narrative.

The Judge said “this Court has a duty to render posthumous justice to the Child. The foregoing circumstances cumulatively taken will definitely create an impression that the investigation is not proceeding on the right lines. Since a high ranking State Minister himself has taken a stand that no attempt was made to convert the girl to Christianity, investigation cannot continue with the State police.”

“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 Judge said.

The CBI will undertake an independent investigation and shall not take into account any of the observations made in this order. Since contentions were advanced on either side, this Court had to deal with them, he added.

The Judge directed that the jurisdictional court can dispose of the bail petition of sister Saghayamary, the hostel warden who was arrested on January 18, based on the available materials and formal notice to CBI is dispensed with.

The Court hoped that an investigation by the CBI will bring out the truth in the case. The petitioner in his affidavit alleged that when his daughter completed Class X, the school management tried to compel him and his wife to convert to Christianity.

As they refused, the hostel warden harassed his daughter by giving punishment work such as cleaning cooking utensils, toilets and school campus, compelled to cook food in the hostel and not allowed her to go home even during holidays.

He further claimed that his daughter had died by suicide only because of the torture meted out by the school management following her refusal for religious conversion.

The Thanjavur district superintendent of police however held a press conference stating that the preliminary investigation conducted by the police ruled out the conversion angle. (UNI)