CBI files FIR in Thanjavur student suicide case; no mention of religious conversion

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday (February 15) filed an FIR in the case involving the suicide of a 17-year-old student, who had alleged in an unverified video that she was being forced to convert to Christianity by her school in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu.

The development comes a day after the Supreme Court on Monday allowed the CBI to proceed with the probe into the circumstances that had led to the death of the teenager.

The 17-year-old, who was a student of Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School in Thanjavur and staying at the hostel, died on January 19, 2022, ten days after she committed suicide.

Also read: Not appropriate to stop CBI probe: SC tells TN on teen suicide case

The CBI reproduced the brief of the FIR filed by the Tirukkaatupalli police in which it is mentioned that she consumed pesticide on January 9, 2022, due to “mental stress” due to the hostel warden asking her to do work like removing grass from the ground and cleaning the rooms. The FIR reproduced by the CBI does not make any mention of religious conversion as of now.

On January 19, the Class 12 student had passed away at Thanjavur Medical College Hospital despite treatment. The hostel warden Sister Saghayamary was arrested and remanded into judicial custody.

An unverified video shot by a BJP functionary had surfaced after her death in which the student had alleged that the warden had attempted to convert her to Christianity two years ago.