New Delhi: The Supreme Court examining an appeal against a CBI probe into the suicide of a minor girl in Thanjavur district has allowed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to submit documents in a sealed cover revealing evidence in support of the allegation that the girl was forced to convert by a Christian institution where she was studying.
The apex court refused to stay a Madras High Court order transferring the probe into the case from the State Police to the CBI, amid the controversy sparked by a video clip appearing to show the girl claiming that she was asked to convert to Christianity.
A bench of justices Sanjiv Khannna and Bela M Trivedi said, ‘We permit the intervenor – NCPCR to file documents in sealed cover.’
The direction was issued after the NCPCR lawyer Swarupama Chaturvedi informed the apex court that the Commission found a wealth of evidence during its spot enquiry conducted on 30 and 31 January after it received over 3,500 complaints following the death of the 17-year-old girl on 19 January.
The Commission submitted that it had written to the State Police to initiate an inquiry and submit an ‘action taken’ report to it. However, there was no response. It said its team had interacted with the Superintendent of Police, the Chief Education Officer, the doctors who treated the minor girl, and her family.