Tamil Nadu: Order on CB-CID probe into all student deaths on campus modified by High Court

On Wednesday, October 19, Justice N Sathish Kumar of the Madras High Court modified his order on August order which was passed in wake of a Class XII girl's death at a private school at Kaniyamoor in Kallakurichi, directing the CB-CID to probe all student deaths at educational institutions, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express. 

The order was modified based on the submission of the State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohammed Jinnah that such investigations into student deaths on campuses would leave the CB-CID burdened and unable to focus on other important cases. Filing an affidavit of the Director general of police (DGP)/Head of Police Force (HoPF) seeking modification of the order, he said, "The general blanket order of transfer of every unnatural death of school/college student would affect the quality of investigation of sensitive cases by the State's highest investigative agency."

Additionally, the affidavit sought to vest the power to assign campus death cases to CB-CID back on DGP/HoPF and the State. So as to avoid tampering with the evidence, the affidavit also sought a reversal of the order that at the time of the student's death, police should proceed only after the education department officer concerned conducted an enquiry.