The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has submitted its report on the death of the minor girl from Thanjavur district who had allegedly committed suicide due to torture at her school.
Following several complainst sent to the commission from different quarters, a team of officials from NCPCR had visited the school and the boarding of the deceased girl on January 30 and 31 to inquire into the circumstances that led to the suicide of the girl.
The report pointed out that there were several procedural lapses in the way the investigation was conducted by the investigation officers.
It pointed that the crime scene was not cordoned off and also possibilities of evidence tampering.
The report also stated that the investigating authorities ignored all pleas made by the family to investigate about the minor girl being forced to convert to Christianity and added that they were trying to conceal material facts pertaining to the ‘care given’ to the child while she was staying at the child care institute.
While the report notes that investigating authorities had ignored pleas to look into the religious conversion angle, News 7 Tamil, a popular Tamil mainstream news channel peddled half-truth saying that the report by National Commission Commission for Protection of Child Rights does not mention conversion as the reason for the death.
அரியலூர் மாணவி லாவண்யாவின் மரணத்திற்கு மதமாற்றம் காரணம் இல்லை;
மாணவியின் பெற்றோர், சகோதரருக்கு மனநல ஆலோசனை வழங்க வேண்டும்.
– தேசிய குழந்தைகள் நல ஆணையம் அறிக்கைhttps://t.co/WciCN2AH8n | #lavanya | #Child | #Student | #Suicide
— News7 Tamil (@news7tamil) March 3, 2022
In light of this, BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai posted a tweet tagging the news outlet saying that the statement made is completely contrary to the NCPCR report.
.@news7tamil சொல்கின்ற கருத்து முற்றிலும் தேசிய குழந்தைகள் நல ஆணையத்தின் அறிக்கைக்கு முரணாக இருக்கிறது!
உங்கள் பார்வைக்காக முழு அறிக்கையும் இங்கே இருக்கிறது!
இதை மக்களுக்கு முழுமையாக எடுத்துச் சொல்லுவார்கள் என்று நம்புகின்றேன்.1/4 https://t.co/AwsgEnRf8m pic.twitter.com/38riRePbtg
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 3, 2022
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. Lavanya’s parents alleged that there was an attempt to forcefully convert their child and become a nun which the child had rejected and hence was subject to torture.
The case is now being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation as per the order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court which was also upheld by the Supreme Court.
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