Tamil Nadu suicide case: 2 teachers held, repeat autopsy ordered
After a class 12 student died by suicide, two teachers of a private residential school in Tamil Nadu's Kalakurichi were arrested on allegations of mental torture, the police said on Monday. The Madras High Court has ordered another round of post-mortem. This comes a day after a peaceful protest turned violent and the mob went on a rampage on Sunday.
Following the complaint by the girl's mother, the two teachers were arrested. They have been identified as Haripriya, the Mathematics teacher, and Keerthika, the Chemistry teacher. The mother complained that the teachers had caused her daughter immense mental torture leading to her death. The girl was found dead on July 13. The chairman, the secretary, and the principal of the school were already arrested.
Tamil Nadu | Violence broke out in Kallakurichi with protesters entering a school, setting buses ablaze, vandalising school property as they sought justice over the death of a Class 12 girl pic.twitter.com/1id0U9jVUW
— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2022
The girl had allegedly jumped off the third floor of the school hostel building. The family alleged that a wall near where she was found dead had the mark of a bloodied palm and that pointed to a physical struggle.
The father of the deceased had, in the meanwhile, moved the Madras High Court for a fresh post-mortem. After the girl's father moved the Madras High Court for a fresh post-mortem examination, the court on Monday ordered another round of post-mortem. However, it turned down a plea by the girl's family that the fresh autopsy is carried out by a doctor of their choice.
Following her death on July 13, the girl's family, friends, and student organizations had been conducting peaceful protests outside the school. However, the protest turned violent on Sunday and the protesters started pelting stones at the police. They also vandalized the school property and torched 15 vehicles. The Inspector General of Police, Superintendent of Police, and 30 other policemen were injured.
The police had to resort to lathi-charge and hurl tear gas shells at the protesters to bring the situation under control. The Madras High Court also directed the police to take tough action against the rioters and all those who provoked them. Prohibitory orders have also been issued by the district administration till July 31 to prevent any untoward incident.
