Don't politicise girl's suicide, guilty will not escape, says TN Minister

Asserting that justice would be meted out in the alleged suicide of a 17-year-old girl in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Monday appealed to the people not to politicise the teenagers death, as a probe is on into the case from all angles.

The school education department has already sought an explanation from the missionary school where the girl studied and also commenced enquiries with students and former students on the allegation of forced conversion bid, the Minister said.

“The truth behind the death of the girl by suicide will be ascertained and those responsible will certainly be punished,” Poyyamozhi told reporters here.

After consuming poison on January 9 at a missionary school in Thanjavur, the plus two student’s condition deteriorated on January 15, leading to her being taken to Thanjavur College Hospital where she gave her declaration implicating the warden and died on January 19.

The FIR says the student, staying at her school hostel, was forced her to do household chores on January 9 by the warden.

The Thirukattupalli police arrested and remanded the warden after the Thanjavur judicial magistrate took the dying declaration.

However, BJP members in the district claim the girl committed suicide because she was forced to convert to Christianity.

“Though the school is run by Christian missionaries, a fairly large number of Hindu students study in this school. Though the allegation of coercing the girl to convert to Christianity appears to be remote, enquiries with the students and those who had passed out from the school are on,” the Minister said.

He informed that Chief Minister MK Stalin had spoked to him and senior education officials about the matter.

“At present enquiry is on and the guilty will be punished,” the Minister said and added that the DMK government will not tolerate any kind of discrimination on caste, religion or political basis.

Poyyamozhi however denied that the warden, a senior citizen, could have attempted to forcibly convert the girl or her parents. “This appears to be untrue as the warden who has already been arrested, had paid the student’s fee,” the Minister said.

(With agencies inputs)