Curbs imposed in TN’s Kallakurichi after student death sparks off violence

Chennai, Jul 17 (IANS): Prohibitory orders were imposed in Kallakurichi taluk and parts of Chinna Salem talukas in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi, till July 31, by District Collector PN Sreedhar, following violence on Sunday morning after agitating students and relatives of a Class 12 student, who committed suicide, clashed with police.

The Class 12 student of a private residential school at Kallakurichi had committed suicide by jumping off from the third floor of her hostel building a couple of days before. In the suicide note, the girl mentioned the names of two of her teachers who were “mentally torturing” her.

The relatives of the girl and student organizations were protesting ever since police let the two teachers off following interrogation, and demanded that both be arrested. On Sunday, the agitation turned violent with the protestors attacking police with stones and bottles.

Police were outnumbered at first and protestors barged into the school, damaged the school building, and torched several school buses. The protestors also set to fire a police vehicle and police had to bring in additional force from adjoining districts to quell the violence.

Inspector General of Police, M. Pandyan who was leading the police operation from the front, and 20 policemen were injured in the stone-throwing and bottle attack by the violent protestors.

Chief Minister MK Stalin directed the Director General of Police and the state Home Secretary to visit the place and to provide an on-the-spot report of the issue. He also called upon the people to remain calm and said that the culprits would be arrested and brought before the law of the land after the police enquiry was completed.