SuicideCase – CBI Finds No Evidence of Religious Conversion in Student Death
SuicideCase – The Central Bureau of Investigation has informed the Supreme Court that its inquiry into the 2022 death of a Class 12 student in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district did not uncover any proof of coercion related to religious conversion.
Status Report Submitted to Supreme Court
In a status report filed on Tuesday, the investigating agency stated that claims suggesting the teenager was pressured to convert to Christianity could not be substantiated by the evidence gathered during the probe. The report was presented before a bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma.
According to the CBI, while allegations had circulated in the aftermath of the student’s death, the investigation did not support assertions that staff members at the missionary-run Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School in Michaelpatti attempted to force her into adopting another faith.
Focus on Alleged Harassment at Hostel
The agency’s findings instead pointed to alleged harassment by the hostel warden as a significant factor. The student had been residing in the school hostel at the time of her death. In a video statement recorded before her passing, she reportedly referred only to the treatment she received from the warden, Sister Sagaya Mary.
Investigators concluded that the warden repeatedly assigned the student hostel-related accounting tasks, which went beyond her academic responsibilities. The added workload, the CBI noted, placed her under considerable mental strain and disrupted her studies.
The agency stated in its report that sustained pressure and distress stemming from these circumstances ultimately drove the student to take the extreme step.
Charges Filed in the Case
Alongside the status report, the CBI submitted a chargesheet before the Chief Judicial Magistrate. The document reiterates that claims of forced religious conversion involving convent sisters or teachers at Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School could not be established during the investigation.
However, the agency has held Sister Sagaya Mary accountable under Section 305 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with abetment of suicide of a minor, and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, related to cruelty towards a child.
The legal proceedings will now move forward based on these charges.
Background of the Controversy
The student’s death in 2022 sparked widespread public debate and political reactions across the country. Some political figures alleged that she had been subjected to pressure to change her religion, a claim that intensified the controversy.
Tamil Nadu Police had earlier dismissed the conversion allegations, maintaining that there was no supporting evidence. The matter later reached the Madras High Court, which transferred the investigation to the CBI in 2022. In its order, the High Court observed that the possibility of a conversion angle could not be entirely ruled out at that stage and expressed dissatisfaction with the state’s handling of the probe.
The state government subsequently challenged the High Court’s decision before the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on the transfer of the investigation. The apex court, however, declined to halt the CBI inquiry, allowing the central agency to proceed.
Legal and Social Implications
The case has drawn attention not only because of the tragic loss of a young life but also due to the sensitive issues it raised, including religious freedom, student welfare, and institutional accountability. With the CBI’s latest submission, the focus now shifts to the trial process and judicial scrutiny of the charges framed against the hostel warden.
The Supreme Court is expected to consider the status report and related submissions in the coming hearings as the matter progresses through the legal system.