In a shocking and expected turn of events, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu has appealed to the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court’s verdict which ordered for the case to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Lavanya, who was studying in class 12 at Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School in Michaelpatti near Thanjavur, committed suicide by drinking pesticide after she was allegedly tortured to convert to Christianity by the school.
While the initial plea of Lavanya’s parents had sought for a CB-CID probe, they sought a CBI probe in the last hearing on 28th January 2022.
The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday (January 31) ordered to transfer the suicide case of 17 year old girl Lavanya to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The DMK and its allies along with their supporters have been trying to rule out the religious conversion angle since the beginning.
Thanjavur Superintendent of Police Ravali Priya had held a pressmeet in which she said that there was no religious angle.
Following this, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, and Social Welfare & Women Empowerment Minister Geetha Jeevan too made statements ruling out the conversion angle which has been mentioned by the girl in her dying declaration as well as repeatedly emphasized by her parents.
The DMK and its allies saw the High Court’s ruling as a setback both administratively and politically. There were speculations that the DMK government in Tamil Nadu would be appealing against the High Court’s verdict which has now been affirmed.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.