New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the police’s plea against the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the suicide case of a 17-year-old schoolgirl in Tamil Nadu. But the court said that the central agency can continue the investigation in the case where the student was allegedly forced to convert to Christianity.
The teenager had committed suicide by consuming poison at her home in Thanjavur on January 9 and died 10 days later. In a video, the girl alleged that the hostel warden forced her to clean the hostel and do maintenance work.
The hostel warden has been arrested for abetment to suicide under the Juvenile Act.
A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Bela M Trivedi issued notice on an appeal filed by Tamil Nadu DGP challenging the Madras High Court order.
The top court said that there are two aspects to the matter, one is that certain observations have been recorded in the impugned judgment and the other pertains to the final order directing the investigation by the CBI.
“The notice issued can be returned in three weeks. In the meantime, the investigation is going on with respect to the order of continuation of the investigation,” the bench said. The High Court had on January 31 transferred the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The girl’s parents allege that an attempt was made to Christianize the family and are demanding a probe into the matter.
The allegations have taken a political turn and the BJP has demanded a probe and urged the DMK government of the state to punish those responsible.
State BJP President K Annamalai shared the video of the minor girl on Twitter and called for a fair investigation and arrest of those responsible. Describing conversion as a rapidly spreading poisonous plant, Mr. Annamalai urged the state government to “control” it.
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