A 17-year-old student in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district committed suicide over alleged harassment to convert to Christianity. The incident came to light on January 10, when the boarding school authorities called the minor’s father Muruganandam stating that their daughter was admitted to a hospital after she vomited and complained of severe stomach pain. The girl lost her life exactly ten days after she consumed the poison.
In a video that went viral on social media, the girl said she was being “tortured” by the hostel warden after she denied conversion to Christianity two years ago.
The minor, a boarder at St Michael’s Girl’s Home in Thanjavur, hailed from the nearby Ariyalur district. “Preliminary investigations do not reveal it to be a case of forced conversion. We have already filed a case and we are looking into the complaint filed by her parents,” informed Thanjavur district police superintendent Ravali Priya. The SP also warned of action against persons who revealed the minor’s identity on social media.
On the basis of the registered complaint, police officials have arrested the 62-year-old, hostel warden Sagayamari. She has been booked under various sections of the IPC and JJ Act.
As per media reports, the deceased was seen saying that her hostel warden began torturing her by asking her to clean all rooms and do other chores. “She asked my parents two years ago whether I can convert to Christianity and that she will take care of my educational expenses. Since then, she made me do all the work,” the girl said in the video.
Taking cognizance of the suicide, Tamil Nadu’s Opposition is demanding strict action against several cases of forced conversion in the state. In a statement, state BJP chief, K. Annamalai, raked up the incident and alleged that the FIR does not refer to the girl’s statement on attempts of ‘forced conversion’
