Ministry of Interior Legal Forum

The Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) has called for disciplinary action against Tamil Nadu police officer, Ravali Priya, in connection with the alleged ‘forced religious conversion, suicide’ case. In a letter to India’s Home Minister, the forum said “Thanjavur District Superintendent of Police, Ravali Priya, IPS misled the investigative process into ‘forced religious conversion, mental harassment and physical and the incitement to suicide’ of a minor girl”. . This letter of complaint refers to the video statement of the deceased minor girl and the letter of complaint filed by her parents.

The case concerns a 17-year-old girl who was pursuing her 12th grade at Sacred Heart School in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. According to the complaint filed by LRPF, the victim allegedly tried to end his life after being forced by school authorities to convert to Christianity. He also mentions that the said Sacred Heart Hr. Sec school was illegally converting children to Christianity and imposing corporal punishment on those who resisted. He added that it caused mental agony for the students and pushed them to extremes. “The victim was forced to convert to Christianity and when she refused, she was denied permission to return home from the hostel. She was forced to clean the toilets and wash the dishes,” reads- on in the complaint. It also adds that the child attempted to end her life because of the atrocities inflicted on her (as a result of which she ultimately died).

According to a video of the victim shared by LRPF, the victim can be heard saying: “In front of me too, they asked my parents to convert me to Christianity, so that she would make me study. She also kept scolding me and wouldn’t let me stay there. Later, when asked who she was referring to, the victim is heard saying “Sister Rachael Mary”. In the same video, when asked if she was tortured because she refused to convert to Christianity, the victim is heard saying “it could be possible”. However, Zee Media could not independently verify the authenticity of said video.

Following LRPF’s complaint to the National Commission for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (NCPCR), the latter issued formal notice to the Tamil Nadu Police Chief Executive to act on the case and share a report within seven days. Late on Wednesday night, while the investigation was still ongoing, Thanjavur Police Superintendent Ravali Priya, IPS flatly denied the “religious conversion angle”, in a press conference.

According to her, said minor had consumed toxic material on January 9. “On the night of January 15, we got information from his parents, immediately the police took a video and recorded the statement and filed a complaint under the sections of the Juvenile Justice Act. The Thanjavur Magistrate also took the dying statement from the girl, based on a doctor certifying her mental and health condition. In the first information provided by the parents, the police video statement or the magistrate – a defendant was being identified and the police secured and remanded him. The case is under investigation,” she added. She also mentioned having received another petition from the parents of the victim.

However, LRPF states: “The parents of the deceased daughter, in their complaint, clearly mentioned that their daughter had been forced to convert her religion to Christianity and stated that the sister Mrs. Rocklin Mary and the director had harassed her at this respect. It is clear that the investigation into the case is misled in order to hide the angle of religious conversion which appears as the main reason for the girl’s suicide, as mentioned by herself in the video before her death However, the SP argued that the girl must be certified medically and mentally fit for said confession video (which was posted on social media) to be considered. The police officer also said that action would be taken against those who made this video.

In this regard, the LRPF’s letter of complaint calls for an investigation by the Home Office into the alleged criminal conduct of the Thanjavur District Police Superintendent and appropriate legal and disciplinary action against him. “We request your office to take action against the SP of Thanjavur district under Section 166 A (c) of the Indian Penal Code for failure to register FIR in relation to this matter. We also request that your good offices are considering ordering the Government of Tamil Nadu to transfer Ms Ravali Priya, IPS from Thanjavur until the investigation, in this case, is completed,” read the letter of complaint to the Indian Home Ministry.