Panapakkam girls’ suicide: Kin refuse to accept compensation

Following CM Edappadi K Palaniswami announcement that the government will provide a solatium of Rs 2 lakh each to the family of the deceased, the revenue officials headed by the tahsildar brought the relatives of the four girls to the Ranipettai RDO’s office and offered them the four cheques for Rs 2 lakh each.

The families refused to accept the cheque, stating that they would only accept it if their demands of registering a case and arresting those responsible for the girls’ death were fulfilled.

A few relatives also demanded that a family member each of the deceased should be given government jobs. Though RDO Venu Sankaran said the issue would be looked into, the families refused to budge.

Meanwhile, the Vellore district administration’s attempt to get actor Damu to give a speech at the Panapakkam government higher secondary school on Saturday received a setback, when the relatives of the victims and villagers objected the move.

Stating that the move would only increase the existing confusion on the school campus, they demanded that the programme be cancelled. The officials also obliged.

Villagers refuse to accept the official statement that action would be taken against the suspended school head Ramamani and class teacher Meenakshi at the end of the ongoing inquiry.