TIRUNELVELI: Family members of a 21-year-old girl, who died after falling from the fourth floor of a private agricultural college hostel in Sivaganga, petitioned the Tirunelveli district administration on Friday demanding a fair inquiry into her death and sought action against the college administration.
The deceased was identified as Preethi Devi of Tirunelveli. In his petition, the girl's father P Selvakumar said he was suspicious about the circumstances of her death. He alleged that the police hastily registered the case as a suicide without proper investigation. He further said that his daughter was a third-year BSc Agriculture student at a private college in Visalan Kottai of Sivaganga and she had been staying in the college hostel.
"On January 7, the hostel warden informed us over the phone that Preethi had fallen from the fourth floor of the hostel and was admitted to a hospital in Karaikudi. Later, we received another call from the college administration that she was in critical condition and had been shifted to the ICU of a private hospital in Madurai. When we reached Madurai, we found her on a ventilator and in critical state. On January 8, Preethi succumbed to her injuries at the hospital," he added.
"The college administration informed us that Preethi ended her life by jumping from the fourth floor. However, Preethi's classmates revealed that the fourth floor was a locked, restricted area and the keys were only with the administration. They also mentioned the absence of CCTV cameras in the hostel," Selvakumar added.
He claimed that statements given by the college administration were inconsistent. He alleged that local police sided with the college management and registered a case based on their narrative without conducting a fair inquiry.