By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu on Thursday moved the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court’s order transferring the probe into the Thanjavur student’s death by suicide to the CBI. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old girl’s father filed a caveat petition in the top court.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court transferred the probe to the CBI on Monday following a plea filed by the girl’s father which stated that he had lost faith in the State police, which was investigating the case.
The family of the girl has alleged she faced harassment at the school as they had refused to undergo a religious conversion and accused the police of leaking videos of the girl’s dying declaration. State education officials and police have ruled out pressure to convert as a factor in the case.
Police had also claimed the girl had issues with her stepmother. In its appeal before the SC, the State has sought a stay on the Madurai Bench’s order and contended that a mere press conference by the police, ruling out the religious conversion angle, is not enough to transfer the case.
The HC, in its ruling, said there was an “attempt of the police to derail the investigation” and noted the girl had not made any allegations regarding her stepmother in the police statement or dying declaration. The child had attempted to take her life on January 9, after allegedly being forced to perform domestic chores. She died on January 19 without responding to treatment. Police subsequently arrested and remanded the warden accused of harassing her.
