MADURAI: Restraining the police officials from harassing the person who had taken the video of a 17-year-old Class XII girl from Thanjavur district in which she made an allegation that she was called upon to convert to Christianity, Madras high court on Saturday observed that the focus of the police authorities should be on the circumstances that led to the suicide of the child and it cannot be directed against the person who had taken the video.
Justice G R Swaminathan passed the interim order during a special sitting on Saturday, after petitioner’s counsel stated that police were allegedly attempting to take action against the person who took the video for revealing the identity of the minor girl.
Father of the deceased girl, S Muruganantham filed a petition before HC Madurai bench seeking CB-CID probe in this case. On Friday evening, the case was taken up for hearing after the petitioner’s counsel made a mention before the court. The court had ordered to perform forensic autopsy and videograph the procedure.
After taking into account the submission of the petitioner’s counsel alleging that the parents of the deceased and the person who took the video of the girl are being pressured by the police, the court asked the police to conduct themselves appropriately so as not to give rise to such allegations.
Subsequently, the additional public prosecutor contacted the registry of the court and informed them that the postmortem had already been performed. The police wanted to know if the court had ordered a second postmortem to be conducted. Therefore, a special sitting was held on Saturday.
Justice Swaminathan took note of the fact that the postmortem was conducted by two forensic doctors attached to the Thanjavur medical college hospital. Observing that nothing has been brought out to doubt the credibility of the postmortem, the judge requested the petitioner who was present before the court through video conference to receive the body and perform the final rites as per the customs on Saturday itself. The petitioner also agreed to do so.
The judge directed the Thanjavur district collector to make appropriate arrangements to take the body of the girl to the native village of the petitioner. The judge also made it clear that the final rites will be performed in the customary mode and the police shall not interfere with the said performance.
The judge also directed the Thanjavur principal district judge to nominate a judicial magistrate for the purpose of recording the statement of the petitioner and his wife under Section 164 of Cr P C on January 23, Sunday. A copy of the said statement shall be made available in a sealed cover for the perusal of this court by January 24, Monday.
In the petition, the petitioner stated that the hostel warden Sagayamary harassed his daughter by giving punishment work such as to clean cooking utensils, to clean toilets, to clean the school campus, compelled to cook food in the hostel and not allowed her to go home even during the school holidays.
He stated that his daughter committed suicide, only, because of the torture meted out by her at the hands of the school management following the refusal for religious conversion. However, Thanjavur district superintendent of police gave a press statement stating that there was no complaint of forcible religious conversion.
He stated that the statement of the SP and the compulsion by the police creates a strong suspicion that the police are attempting to safeguard some persons who were responsible for the death of his daughter. Hence, the petitioner moved HC Madurai bench seeking CB-CID probe in this case.
The case was adjourned to January 24 for further hearing.
Justice G R Swaminathan passed the interim order during a special sitting on Saturday, after petitioner’s counsel stated that police were allegedly attempting to take action against the person who took the video for revealing the identity of the minor girl.
Father of the deceased girl, S Muruganantham filed a petition before HC Madurai bench seeking CB-CID probe in this case. On Friday evening, the case was taken up for hearing after the petitioner’s counsel made a mention before the court. The court had ordered to perform forensic autopsy and videograph the procedure.
After taking into account the submission of the petitioner’s counsel alleging that the parents of the deceased and the person who took the video of the girl are being pressured by the police, the court asked the police to conduct themselves appropriately so as not to give rise to such allegations.
Subsequently, the additional public prosecutor contacted the registry of the court and informed them that the postmortem had already been performed. The police wanted to know if the court had ordered a second postmortem to be conducted. Therefore, a special sitting was held on Saturday.
Justice Swaminathan took note of the fact that the postmortem was conducted by two forensic doctors attached to the Thanjavur medical college hospital. Observing that nothing has been brought out to doubt the credibility of the postmortem, the judge requested the petitioner who was present before the court through video conference to receive the body and perform the final rites as per the customs on Saturday itself. The petitioner also agreed to do so.
The judge directed the Thanjavur district collector to make appropriate arrangements to take the body of the girl to the native village of the petitioner. The judge also made it clear that the final rites will be performed in the customary mode and the police shall not interfere with the said performance.
The judge also directed the Thanjavur principal district judge to nominate a judicial magistrate for the purpose of recording the statement of the petitioner and his wife under Section 164 of Cr P C on January 23, Sunday. A copy of the said statement shall be made available in a sealed cover for the perusal of this court by January 24, Monday.
In the petition, the petitioner stated that the hostel warden Sagayamary harassed his daughter by giving punishment work such as to clean cooking utensils, to clean toilets, to clean the school campus, compelled to cook food in the hostel and not allowed her to go home even during the school holidays.
He stated that his daughter committed suicide, only, because of the torture meted out by her at the hands of the school management following the refusal for religious conversion. However, Thanjavur district superintendent of police gave a press statement stating that there was no complaint of forcible religious conversion.
He stated that the statement of the SP and the compulsion by the police creates a strong suspicion that the police are attempting to safeguard some persons who were responsible for the death of his daughter. Hence, the petitioner moved HC Madurai bench seeking CB-CID probe in this case.
The case was adjourned to January 24 for further hearing.
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