Thanjavur student suicide case: NCPCR moves SC to intervene in Tamil Nadu govt's plea

New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI): The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking its intervention on a plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government challenging the order of the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court transferring probe into a 17-year old girl suicide case to CBI.
The top court allowed NCPCR to intervene in the matter and directed NCPCR to submit documents related to an inquiry conducted by it in a sealed cover.
The NCPCR has filed an intervening application and submitted that the application for intervention is being filed with bonafide and in the interest of not only the child victim in the present case but also in the larger interest of children all over the Nation.
The NCPCR had written a letter to the Director-General of Police, State of Tamil Nadu requesting to look into the matter and suitable disciplinary action be taken against district police officials for not conducting a fair investigation.
The NCPCR said that it is of the considered view and is apprehensive that there has been a grave injury and violation of the right to take her precious life. It is further observed by the NCPCR that mischief could have been done, both while the child victim was alive and while her death was being investigated.
"The NCPCR feels duty-bound to submit the findings of its inquiry to assist this Court with its findings and has come to the Court in the hopes that no other child would suffer from the similar fate as the child victim, and to assist the Court in reaching a just, fair and equitable decision," the application said.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M Trivedi had earlier asked respondents including the victim's father to file a reply in the matter.
Tamil Nadu government has filed an appeal in Supreme Court challenging order of Madurai bench of the Madras High Court transferring probe into the girl suicide case to CBI.
Recently the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ordered that the probe into the girl suicide matter will be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The order came on the plea filed by the girl's father.
The case pertains to a 17-year old girl from a poor background, who studied in a Christian Missionary School in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district and was allegedly being forced to convert to Christianity by her school. Allegations of torture after her refusal to convert were also raised by the girl. According to police, the victim had consumed poisonous material on January 9 and had succumbed ten days later. (ANI)