Lapses in investigation, possibility of tampering with evidence: NCPCR report in Lavanya Suicide Case

The three-member committee of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which is probing the suicide case of 17-year-old M Lavanya after she was pressurised to convert to Christianity has revealed scathing details about the lapses in the investigation of the case. As per the report, there is a possibility of tampering with the evidence and the police trying to conceal facts by sidelining the conversion narrative.

“Looking into the gravity of the situation, and the lenient stand of the State Authorities in the present matter, regarding the death of a minor girl in Thanjavur, a team of three officials headed by Chairperson NCPCR Shri Priyank Kanoongo, Ms Madhulika Sharma, Advisor (Education), and Ms Katyayani Anand, Consultant (Legal) visited Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu on 30th and 31st of January 2022 for the purpose of conducting a thorough inquiry in the matter,” NCPCR said.

Laxity in initial actions by School Authorities and Police:

The NCPCR team in its probe noticed several procedural lapses during the inquiry. It has accused the Tamil Nadu Police of not filing a complaint about the conversion angle, which was the cause of the suicide as per her family and was also part of Lavanya’s dying declaration.

When the NCPCR team reached Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Michaelepatt in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, where Lavanya died of suicide, they discovered that there were no separate rooms or accommodations for the children’s stay.

Further, the hall where the deceased girl was staying had been cleaned and essential objects such as furniture, books, clothes, and children’s belongings had been removed. The team also observed that the crime scene was not sealed and cordoned for the purpose of the investigation by the local Police, leading to a possibility of evidence tampering, said the report.

Moreover, the report added that the police have yet not identified the vendor or the source from which the alleged substance had been procured. The NCPCR team also observed various anomalies in the statements made by the Investigating Officer and the Superintendent of Police.

Lavanya – who was a class 12th student at Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School in Michaelpatti near Thanjavur was tortured to convert to Christianity by the school. As per her family, she was harrassed to convert and become a nun, upon rejecting which the child was subject to torture that made her take this extreme step. The prime accused in the same was the warden of the boarding who had also not been taken on Police Remand, the NCPCR report pointed out.

The NCPCR said in its report stated that the statutory body had taken cognisance of this incident only after it received ‘3545 odd complaints’ pertaining to initiate inquiry against the allegations in connection to this incident.”

School Authorities demanded fees from Lavanya’s mother before allowing her to get treatment:

Reflecting the indifference of the school authorities and the Tamil Nadu police pertaining to Lavanya’s suicide, the NCPCR report stated that before the deceased girl was allowed to be taken for treatment to the other hospital, the school authorities collected her fees from the mother. It observed that no inquiry had taken place against this action of the school authorities for taking a fee from the mother of the deceased child.

Authorities trying to conceal Conversion angle, ignoring family’s pleas for investigation:

It was observed by NCPCR that the authorities were trying to turn the incident into a story of the minor having an evil stepmother who forced the deceased child to do household work. However, during the visit, through the interaction with the school and the police, the NCPCR was made aware of how the minor girl was made to do official work of the CCI by the warden like bookkeeping, accounting, store management etc and other work like cleaning the premises, washing toilets, opening the door etc.

It was observed that the investigating authorities were somewhere trying to conceal material facts pertaining to the care given to the child while she was staying in the CCI and also ignored all the pleadings made by the family to investigate regarding the minor being forced to convert into
Christianity.

Recommendations by NCPCR to Chief Secretary and DGP:

The NCPCR after its probe has also submitted a list of its recommendations to the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of the Police (DGP) regarding the investigation.

• To take action against the district authorities who had failed to take action as per JJ Act, 2015 despite the school housing children without a valid registration.
• To provide necessary counselling, compensation and assistance to the parents and the brother of the deceased girl.
• To inquire how many such institutes are functioning under the Tamil Nadu Hostel and Homes for Women and Children Regulation) Act 2014 and Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and provide a list of the same to NCPCR.
• To shift all the children residing in the said CCI following due procedure immediately
• To take disciplinary action against the District Police Officials for not following the due process of investigation and conducting a fair investigation.

Meanwhile, DMK – which got into a political storm after the incident has not yet commented on NCPCR’s report. As per sources, the party has called the probe a political tactic by the BJP.