Tamil Nadu: Minor dies by suicide, alleges abuse, forced conversion

A 17-year-old girl in Tamil Nadu consumed poison following alleged abuse by her hostel warden, in an attempt to convert her to Christianity, which led to her death on Wednesday.

In the video that surfaced on social media, after the girl’s death, she narrates her ordeal, of abuse and harassment, at her hostel after her family refused to convert to Christianity. The teenager reportedly consumed poison on January 9, at her home in Thanjavur and died 10 days later.

The girl’s parents have demanded an investigation into the allegations of forced conversion. The warden has been arrested under the Juvenile Act and has also been charged with abetment to suicide.

In the video, the girl alleges that she was forced to clean the hostel apart from carrying out maintenance and administration work.

“Two years ago, they asked me and my parents to convert to Christianity. They said they will take care of my education,” the girl says in the video. On a specific question on whether she was targeted for not converting, she says, “Maybe”.

The police officials have said that neither the girl nor her family had filed a complaint about the allegations of forced conversion.

A senior police officer in Thanjavur, Ravali Priya Gandhapuneni, was quoted by NDTV saying, “We had video recorded her complaint, her statement to the Judicial Magistrate, and her dying declaration. She did not say anything about conversion. Nor did her parents allege this. We are however investigating this allegation also.”

The original source of the video is also being located, to verify its authenticity and investigate the motive behind its release. “The minor girl’s identity has been revealed. This is a violation,” the officer said.

The issue has turned political as a BJP leader shared the video on Twitter demanding an investigation into the incident while urging the DMK government to penalise those responsible.

State BJP president K Annamalai, shared the video on Twitter and called for a fair investigation and the arrest of those involved. He described conversions as a rapidly spreading poisonous plant and urged the state to “control” it.