Taking serious note of the violence in Kallakurichi on July 17, the court asked the police to take stringent action against the rioters.
Protesters demanding justice over the death of a 17-year-old girl, studying in a private residential school in Chinnasalem, in the Kallakurichi district on Sunday, 17 July, 2022. (PTI)
The Madras High Court on Monday, 18 July, ordered a second post mortem of a Class 12 girl who allegedly died by suicide on the premises of a private school near Chinnasalem in the Kallakurichi district on 13 July.
While hearing the writ petition filed by Ramalingam — the father of the 17-year-old girl who sought a second post mortem and a CB-CID investigation into the case — the court also directed the Tamil Nadu government to form a special team to probe the violence that broke out in the school on Sunday.
Taking serious note of the vandalism and violence at the school, Justice N Satish Kumar directed the Tamil Nadu Police to find out who instigated the riots and take stringent action against them.
“The court is going to monitor the probe into the violence. All protestors must be identified and the losses suffered must be recovered from them,” the judge observed.
The state police have also been asked to file a status report by 29 July regarding their investigation into the riots.
Protest and violence demanding justice over the death of a 17-year-old girl, studying in a private residential school in Chinnasalem, in the Kallakurichi district, on Sunday, 17 July, 2022. (PTI)
The court also suggested that what transpired at the school Sunday was “not a mere provocation”, but “organized crime”.
“Who gave you the license to burn down the Transfer Certificates of 4,500 students? How did the miscreants convene there?” asked the judge.
Expressing concerns about how an impression was created that Tamil Nadu was heading towards lawlessness, Kumar asked the police to handle this matter as a test case and not spare anyone who indulged in violence.
“Else, there will be complete lawlessness,” he warned.
The court also asked the police to take action against those who were conducting a parallel investigation and a trial on social-media platforms regarding the student’s death.
In addition to this, the court ordered that hereafter when deaths take place in educational institutions, the probe must be carried out by the CB-CID and the post-mortem conducted by three doctors.
As far as the second post mortem of the victim was concerned, the court ordered that it would be conducted by a team of doctors appointed by it, and that the entire process would be videographed.
The girl’s father and lawyer can also be present during this post mortem.
However, the court directed the girl’s family to receive her body immediately after the process, and conduct the final rites in a peaceful manner.
The court also asked the petitioner’s counsel to advise his clients not to give any interviews as the police fear it might further complicate the situation.
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