Court Ordered CBI Investigation Into The Death Of Thanjavur Schoolgirl

The inquiry into the death by suicide of a girl who was enrolled at a Christian missionary-run school in Thanjavur district was assigned to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday, January 31, 2022.

The girl's parents had filed a petition alleging that she was compelled to undertake domestic chores at the hostel, which the court was hearing. The girl was allegedly persuaded to convert into Christianity. The parents originally requested a CB-CID investigation. They later requested a CBI investigation.

The State Ministers had stated their viewpoints and taken a position on the issue, according to Justice G.R. Swaminathan. At a media conference, Thanjavur Superintendent of Police stated that the conversion angle was not discovered during the preliminary investigation. Since the individual footage had already gone viral by that time, such a declaration was inappropriate. The parents filed a lawsuit stating that the child was being forced to convert to Christianity. The Superintendent of Police dismissed the parents' complaint by noting that the conversion angle was ruled out. Despite all, there was a claim that a conversion attempt was conducted.

The judge also pointed out that the individual who took the video of the girl did not commit any crime. The infraction under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 was only triggered by the subsequent publication of the video on social media without concealing the girl's identify. The shooting was carried out at the request of the girl's father in this case. The video's legitimacy has been acknowledged. The School Education Minister and two others voiced their viewpoints, and the Education Department issued a statement clearing the school administration of the charge of conversion.

The dying declaration's details were disclosed to the press. The original phone was delivered along to the officer in charge of the investigation. Following that, the ruling party's IT wing revealed portions of the private footage that seemed to implicate the school officials. According to the judge, this featured significant concern on the investigation's legitimacy and objectivity.

The issue came into highlight when the girl committed herself because she couldn't stand the hostel warden's treatment of her. There was an effort at conversion, according to the statements made on the private video. The father claimed that the girl was tormented because she refused to convert. Whether the claim was true or not was a topic for investigation and, ultimately, a judicial decision. However, a refute was surfacing, implying that the child's father and stepmother were to blame for the suicide. It was claimed that Child Line had gotten complaints about the girl's stepmother being nasty to her. According to the judge, such purposeful leaks harmed the investigation's credibility.

Meanwhile, on January 18, the warden of the hostel was detained. The court ordered the jurisdictional court to rule on the warden's bail petition based on the evidence presented. It took note of the fact that Michealpatti is the name of the neighbourhood where the school is located.