Tamil Nadu schoolgirl found dead, fourth case in two weeks

Tamil Nadu schoolgirl found a dead,  fourth case in two weeks

While schoolgirls have been dead in Tamil Nadu for the past two weeks, a class 11 student was found dead at home in Sivakasi yesterday. It is suspected to be a suicide.

The girl was found hanging at home. No suicide note has been found yet. An official said that he had been suffering from severe stomach pains frequently.

In the past two weeks, three girls in class 12 and one currently in class 11 have died in the state -- three of them in the past two days.

The incident took place in Sivakasi hours after the body of a class 12 student was recovered in the Cuddalore district.

In a four-page suicide note, the Cuddalore student alleged that she was "unable to fulfill the IAS wishes set by her parents", police inspector Karthik said.

Concerned by the series of deaths, Chief Minister M.K.Stalin yesterday appealed to female students to avoid suicidal thoughts. "Girls should never be forced to commit suicide. Turn trials into achievements," he said, adding that strict action will be taken against those who sexually, mentally, and physically harass female students.

A Class 12 student of Sacred Heart Girls Higher Secondary School in Tiruvallur district was found dead in her hostel on Monday. No suicide note was recovered.

The first of these four deaths was reported on July 13 in the Kallakurichi district. The student's death at the private residential school sparked violent protests and arson, injuring several, including senior police officers.

In the Kallakurichi case, five people, including the school's principal and two teachers, were arrested after the police found a note alleging that the two teachers had "humiliated him for academic performance".

However, the girl's parents approached the court alleging that there were signs of a physical struggle at the crime scene. Subsequently, the Madras High Court ordered the post-mortem to be conducted again.

Moreover, the High Court has also ordered the CB-CID to conduct an inquiry into the deaths in educational institutions.