Conversion row: Madras High Court orders CBI probe into girl's suicide

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The Madras High Court Bench has directed transferring the probe into the death by suicide of a 17-year-old girl, allegedly coerced to convert to Christianity, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Justice GR Swaminathan ordered the transfer of the case after hearing the arguments of the petitioner, the girl's father and also the school management.

"This Court has a duty to render posthumous justice to the child. The foregoing circumstances cumulatively taken will definitely create an impression that the investigation is not proceeding on the right lines... I therefore direct the Director, Central Bureau of Investigation, New Delhi to assign an officer to take over investigation from the State Police," the court ruled. CBI will undertake an independent investigation and shall not take into account any of the observations made in this order, the judge added. The 17-year-old student of the missionary school in Thanjavur belonged to Ariyalur district.

A few days ago, she died of suicide. The girl, a hostel inmate, was allegedly coerced to convert to Christianity. A video clip in this connection had gone viral. The school management had rejected the allegation and had blamed vested interests. The victim's father had demanded a CB-CID investigation "but in the final hearing, the original prayer was given up and the request was for transfer of investigation to CBI," the court said.

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