Parents of Gauri Neha, the 15-year old girl who killed herself by jumping from her school building, met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at his office in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.
“The Chief Minister has given us an assurance that the accused in the case will be arrested soon. A detailed inquiry will be conducted in the case,” the parents of the girl told the media after the meeting.
Gauri’s parents had sought a high-level inquiry into the death of their daughter as they were unhappy with ongoing investigation.
Gauri’s father Prasanna Kumar and mother Shally along with younger sister Meera Kalyan were present at the meeting with the CM.
On October 20, Gauri, studying in Class 10 of Trinity Lyceum School at Thangassery in Kollam jumped from the third floor of the school building. She succumbed to her injuries on October 23 at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.
Her parents and relatives have alleged that the teenager took the extreme step after being harassed by two teachers. Gauri had questioned one of the teachers for shaming her younger sister.
Visuals aired by Malayalam television channels show one of the teachers, Sindhu coming into the classroom at 1pm on October 20 and asking Gauri to go with her.
As per media reports, Sindhu took Gauri to the principal’s office. Following this, 25 minutes later, Gauri is seen going up a flight of stairs to the third floor, from where she jumps.
Speaking to TNM, Stalin Rajagiri, a member of Kerala Latin Catholic Association Committee says, “Video clippings aired by some television channels clearly show what happened. Her parents had been informed about the issues her younger sister had with her classmates. An internal inquiry is being conducted by the senior priests of the diocese on what happened.”
Teachers Sindhu and Crescent were suspended by the school management following the allegations. The Kollam West Police have also booked the teachers for abatement to suicide. The teachers are absconding.
The parents have also alleged that treatment at Benziger hospital in Kollam, where she was first taken, was delayed for hours. They suspect that since both the hospital and the school come under the Latin Catholic Bishop diocese of Kollam, there could be an attempt to hush up the case.
No delay in treating Gauri: Benziger hospital
However, in a statement issued on Friday, Benziger hospital denied that there was any delay in treating Gauri.
"She was immediately taken to the Intensive Care Unit after being admitted to the hospital. The duty doctor present at that time had conducted a CT scan and Ultra Sound scan before the parents reached the hospital,” reads the statement.
It goes on to state, “The doctors informed her father that the head injury was not serious, but the injuries to her internal organs were serious. This might have caused her blood pressure to lower and the other inconveniences she expressed.”
Benziger hospital, however, pointed out that Gauri’s father had expressed faith in their doctors but it was others (family members and locals) who had alleged that they had no faith in the treatment as the school and hospital came under the same management.
Signed by Father Ferdinant Peter, the director of Benziger hospital, the press statement also notes, “Doctors warned against shifting her to Thiruvananthapuram as the long-distance travel will worsen her condition. But they decided to shift her.”