State Govt Not Extending Support: NCPCR's Press Release About Tamil Nadu Forced Conversion-Suicide Case
NCPCR has also confirmed that Tamil Nadu Police has not sent the 'Action Taken Report', as sought by the Commission.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has issued a press release today stating that the State of Tamil Nadu is not extending support to the proposed visit of a team of NCPCR to inquire into the suicide of a 17-year-old girl that has rocked the state.
The NCPCR has also confirmed that Police did not furnish the 'Action Taken Report' as sought by the Commission vide its notice of last week.
It is stated in the press release that "the Government of Tamil Nadu is reluctant to extend the necessary facilities/support to the NCPCR team for the said enquiry into the incidence on the pretext of imposition of Model Code of Conduct which came into force due to Local Body Oridinary Elections in the State of Tamil Nadu".
However, the Commission states that it will proceed with its visit on 30th and 31st January and that, "Since state Government is not extending support to the visit of NCPCR, the Commission will arrange the above series of events at a designated place to be identified on reaching Thanajaur, which shall be made public through NCPCR Social Media platform".
The 17-year-old girl died on 19th January in hospital after she consumed poison on the 9th January at the hostel of Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School at Michaelpatti in Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu.
In a video of the deceased girl recorded at the hospital, she is seen saying that the School authorities told her and her parents that if she converted to Christianity, they would help her with her further studies. As per her parents, the girl was tortured after she refused to oblige. It is alleged that the girl was compelled to clean toilets in all rooms in the hostel.
The parents of the girl moved the Madras High Court seeking transfer of the investigation to C.B.C.I.D or any other independent investigating agency.
In a special sitting held on 22nd January, Justice G. R. Swaminathan of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had directed the Tamil Nadu Police not to harass the person who took the video of the deceased child.
Thereafter, the Court had also passed a series of directions on the 24th, while recording the statement of the investigating officer that the video is authentic and the statement of the parents of the child that there was indeed an attempt by the school authorities to convert the girl.
The NCPCR has now said in its press release that it has asked the Superintendent of Police and the Investigating Officer to be present during its inquiry. The Commission will meet the parents and classmates of the deceased girl as well as the Doctors, the School authorities and the local population, during its inquiry.
