VIRUDHUNAGAR: Virudhunagar police on Wednesday (January 28) arrested the principal of a private college near Sivakasi on charges of allegedly abetting the suicide of a 19-year-old girl student on January 20.
According to Sivakasi Town police, the accused has been identified as C. Ashok (59) of Satchiyapuram in Sivakasi. The case, initially registered under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) on January 20, has now been altered with the inclusion of Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with abetment to suicide.
Police said the student, Solai Rani, died by suicide on the night of January 20, allegedly following mental distress after she and her mother were reprimanded by the principal over a photograph the student had taken with a male senior outside the college premises.
Before the arrest, the principal had been directed not to attend the college until further notice. A peon, Manimaran, was earlier placed under suspension for allegedly showing the photograph to college authorities.
Students and members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) have staged multiple protests condemning the college management and demanding action against those responsible. Officials from the higher education department have also initiated a detailed inquiry into the incident.
(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on the Tamil Nadu health department’s helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)