E-Paper
Tamil Nadu: Another student found dead on campus, suicide suspected
A Class 12 girl student of a government-aided school in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district was found dead on the premises of the institution’s hostel on Monday, police said.
A Class 12 girl student of a government-aided school in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district was found dead on the premises of the institution’s hostel on Monday, police said.
The incident comes days after another Class 12 girl student was found dead in the hostel of a private school in Kallakurichi district on July 13.
“Our preliminary inquiries suggest it is a death by suicide,” a senior police officer said, requesting anonymity. The 17-year-old girl was a student of Sacred Heart Girls High School in Kizhacheri village of the district and she was found dead in the institution-run St Anne’s hostel.
“We received a complaint from the school this morning (Monday). It has been reported that she died by hanging,” deputy inspector general of police M Sathiya Priya told reporters, adding that a first information report (FIR) has been registered.
A preliminary inquiry has been conducted by local police and the information related to it cannot be disclosed, the DGP said and added that the case was transferred to the Crime Branch-CID (CB-CID).
While hearing the Kallakurichi girl student’s death case, the Madras high court last week had directed that all cases of death inside educational institutions to be investigated by the CB-CID.
“We have completed the preliminary investigation and registered an FIR. As directed by the high court, we have transferred the case to the CB-CID,” the senior officer quoted in first instance said. “As local police, we will not be able to comment any further.”
The 17-year-old girl’s body was taken to the Tiruvallur government medical college and hospital for postmortem, police officers said, adding that the deceased hailed from Thiruttani town in Tiruvallur.
A complaint has been received stating that there are suspicions on the girl’s death and the FIR has been registered fully in accordance with the complaint, Tiruvallur superintendent of police, P Cephas Kalyan told reporters.
Soon after the news of the girl’s death, local residents staged a protest near the school while parents of some of the students wanted to take their ward back home.
“We agreed to let them take their children back after confirming their identity. Their safety is very important,” the SP said. “It is natural for the parents to feel emotional after such incident. We have communicated to them that a proper investigation will be done in the case.”
The education department also conducted an enquiry but could not ascertain the reason behind the death, said a senior district official, wishing not to be named. “At 6.45am, the student was found hanging inside the hostel. The hostel warden was being questioned by the police so we inquired with the school principal and teachers, but could not get much information,” the official added.
Before the case was handed over to the CB-CID, the DIG and SP visited the school to make initial inquiries. Police strike force was also deployed, said an officer.
This is the second such incident in Tamil Nadu within two weeks. On July 13, a 16-year-old girl student was found dead in the hostel of a private school in Kallakurichi. While she was suspected to have ended her life by jumping from the top floor of the hostel, a postmortem report indicated she had sustained injuries before her death, said a senior police officer.
Days after the incident, violence erupted on the school premises on July 17 as protesters went on a rampage and set fire to vehicles, vandalised the school and pelted stones, police said. The local police arrested the school’s principal, correspondent, secretary and two teachers related to the student’s death. They also arrested 70 people for the violence.
The CB-CID is investigating the case and the state has formed a SIT to probe the case on the high court’s direction.
School education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Monday held a meeting with Kallakurichi district officials on shifting students to nearby schools to continue their studies.
