TN Schoolgirl Case: SC Rejects Father's Plea, Fresh Autopsy to be Held Today
The father had approached the apex court with a plea for a doctor of his choice to be included in the autopsy panel.
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 19 July, rejected the plea of the deceased Kallakurichi schoolgirl's father to stay the second post-mortem ordered by the Madras High Court on Monday, which is scheduled to be held today, LiveLaw reported.
The Madras High Court, on Monday had ordered the fresh autopsy of the body of the girl student from a private school in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi, accepting a plea by the father of the deceased girl.
Granting one plea of the petitioner, Justice N Sathish Kumar passed the interim order, saying that the re-post-mortem will be conducted by a team of doctors nominated by the court while the entire process will be videographed in the presence of the girl’s father and a lawyer.
The judge on Monday also ordered the Tamil Nadu police to form a Special Investigation Team to probe the unbridled violence that took place within the premises of the Sakthi matriculation higher secondary school, at Kaniyamoor in Kallakurichi district, on Sunday.
What Had Happened?
A 17 year-old-girl, studying in Class 12 in a private residential school in Chinnasalem, was found dead on 13 July in the hostel premises. She left behind a note alleging that she was being tortured by two teachers.
The girl, a resident on the third floor of the hostel, was earlier suspected to have ended her life by jumping from the top floor. However, a post-mortem report reportedly indicated that she had sustained injuries before her death. Police registered a case and a probe is on.
Shakthi Matriculation school principal Shiva Sankaran, correspondent Ravikumar, and secretary Shanthi have since been arrested over the death and for failing to maintain safety at the school hostel. The case has been transferred to CB-CID, as per the police.
Shocked by her death, her parents, relatives, and people belonging to her village Periyanasalur, off Veppur in Cuddalore district, have been staging protests, seeking justice.
On Sunday, chaos had ensued in Chinnasalem as protesters set fire to vehicles and pelted stones. As many as 70 men, who were involved in the violence, have been arrested, Director General of Police C Sylendra Babu told reporters.
The police had opened fire in the air at least twice to restrain the violent mob, who pushed down barricades, stormed the premises of the 'international' school near Chinnasalem, and set parked buses on fire.
Several protesters managed to reach the terrace and vandalised the school name board and held high banners seeking justice for the girl.
(With inputs from LiveLaw.)
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