TN school headmistress booked for abetment after Dalit girl’s suicide

Madurai police have booked a government school headmistress for alleged abetment of suicide after a 16-year-old Dalit girl died by suicide following an alleged casteist remark and humiliation during an admission interaction. Police are examining CCTV footage and possible SC/ST Act charges

Madurai (Tamil Nadu): A government school teacher in Usilampatti in this district has been booked for abetment after a Dalit girl seeking admission in the institution died by suicide due to alleged humiliation at the hands of the accused.

The HM also allegedly made a casteist slur at the deceased. The 16-year-old girl’s relatives have been protesting demanding action against the Government Model Secondary School headmistress who allegedly rebuked and made casteist slur against the girl for asking her mother not to stand with folded hands in front of her.

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The Madurai police who initially filed a suicide case after the teen ended her life over the alleged humiliation by the school HM on August 25, altered the case to abetment, naming the teacher, police said on Saturday.

On August 24, the girl, accompanied by her mother, went to the Government Model Secondary School in Usilampatti seeking admission following hes decision to discontinue studies at her current school, in order to pursue nursing.

During the interview, the girl noticing her mother standing in a submissive manner with her hands folded, gestured to her asking to change her posture, and straightened the hands. At this the HM was said to have got irked, and accusing the student of being arrogant, made a casteist remark.

She asked why “people like you” cannot keep their hands folded, and ordered them to leave. The following day, the girl died by hanging at her home, police said.

“The case of suicide (unnatural death) registered on August 25, was subsequently altered on August 28, invoking relevant sections under BNS to include charges of abetment of suicide and naming the HM in the FIR,” a senior official said.

In her complaint, the deceased girl’s mother claimed that her daughter was deeply distressed after the HM admonished her and resorted to the extreme measure on August 25 after spending the night without food and in gloom.

An official said the police were in the process of retrieving the school’s CCTV footage and were working with the District Child Welfare Committee and Education Department officials to ascertain if SC/ST Act could be invoked.