TN: Four months after student's death, HC allows school reopening

Chennai: Four months after a class 12th student committed suicide in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district allegedly after being tortured by two teachers, the Madras High Court on Tuesday granted permission to the authorities concerned to commence regular classes for classes 11 to 12.

Justice R Suresh Kumar showed the green signal, while passing further interim orders on the petition from Latha Educational Trust, which was running the school in question.

When the matter came up today, Additional Advocate-General S Silambannan told the judge that the school management carried out the repair and renovation work as suggested by the District Collector.

Petitioner's counsel submitted that the management has taken all steps to reopen the school and commence the classes. Most of the students were reluctant to attend online classes, he added.

The judge said that the classes might be permitted on a trial basis for a month. The same might be continued and extended to other classes on seeing the response. The school management might approach the local police for protection, he added and adjourned the case till November 21.

Pertinently, on July the student, studying at a private school, died by suicide by jumping off her hostel building she was staying in. Police found a suicide note in which she alleged that two teachers tortured her.

The body of the deceased was noticed by the watchman, who alerted the school authorities and the student was rushed to the hospital but she succumbed to her injuries on the way.

(With inputs from PTI)`