TN girl suicide: HC asks man who recorded video to hand over phone

The Madras High Court on Monday directed the man who recorded the video of a 17-year-old girl who had alleged that she was called to be converted to Christianity and later committed suicide, to appear before the investigating officer and hand over his mobile phone.

The investigating officer appeared before the court on Monday and confirmed that the video circulated on social media is that of the girl herself. 

He, however, said this was not enough, and the original mobile phone in which the video was recorded as required.

The girl's father, S. Muruganantham who appeared before Justice G. Swaminathan through video-conference, said that the person who had recorded the video, Muthuvel would appear before the investigating officer before 10 a.m. on Tuesday and would hand over the mobile phone.

The judge directed Muthuvel to appear before the investigating officer before 10 a.m. on Tuesday. 

Justice Swaminathan also directed the petitioner, S. Muruganantham, and his wife to appear before the investigating officer on Tuesday to record the statement.

The judge also directed the investigating officer to send the mobile phone along with the CD containing the video to the Tamil Nadu Forensic Science Laboratory at Mylapore in Chennai on Tuesday.

He also directed the Forensic laboratory director to examine the mobile phone and other materials furnished by the investigating officer on the same day and furnish a report immediately.

In the petition, Muruganantham had stated that his daughter committed suicide only due to the torture meted out to her at the hands of the school management following the refusal for religious conversion.

The petitioner said he had moved the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court seeking a CB-CID probe as the Thanjavur Superintendent of Police had issued a press statement that there was no complaint of forced religious conversion.