Kallakurichi student death: Madras HC says the case is clear suicide, not murder

The Madras High Court has passed the judgement that the death of a student in a school in Kallakuruchi district in Tamil Nadu is a clear case of suicide and not murder. The court held its decision after analysing doctors' reports on Monday, August 29.

The case was being heard by Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan, who also held the girl was not subjected to sexual harassment or raped, as alleged by her parents and others. The judge took into account the report of a three-member team of doctors from JIPMER, Puducherry, which confirmed this.

The team of doctors analysed the two previous postmortem reports conducted on the body of the deceased 17-year-old. After going through the report, the court said that now it is confirmed that there is no evidence to attract the offence under rape and murder, as per a report by PTI.

"It is unfortunate and a sorry-state-of-affair that teachers, who teach the students, are facing threat from their students and their respective parents. It is very unfortunate that the petitioners were arrested and under imprisonment for advising the students to study well," the judge said.

"Even according to the suicide note, there is no evidence to show that the petitioners instigated the deceased to commit suicide soon before her death. Teachers directing their students to study well is part and parcel of the teaching profession and it would not amount to abetment to commit suicide," he added.

Therefore, the offence under Section 305 of the IPC (abetment of suicide) is not at all attracted against the petitioners," the judge added further and mourned the death of the student who died by suicide for facing difficulties in her studies. "It should not happen in future," he said. Considering the above facts and circumstances of the case and also the period of incarceration undergone by the petitioners, the judge said he was inclined to grant them bail, as per PTI.

Last week, the judge had granted bail to five people, consisting of teachers and administrators of the school. And last month, the girl's death had sparked off violence and arson, with protesters demanding justice for her.