When will chargesheet be filed in Kallakurichi school case: HC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Crime Branch and Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) on November 30 to file a status report to explain whether the investigation in the Kallakurichi school girl’s death case has been completed fully and when the charge sheet will be filed in this case.

Justice R Suresh Kumar made this direction on hearing the petition filed by the Latha Educational Society for a direction to the government to reopen the school which remains closed since July. The protests of hundreds of people against the school gushed into violence, and the school properties were damaged.

When the matter was taken up, State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohammed Jinnah informed the judge that though the investigation to a considerable extent is completed by the CB-CID, still, the charge sheet has not been filed. He further submitted that it is to be ascertained from the CB-CID as to whether still more time is required by them for completing their investigation and for the said purpose, any portion of the building of the school concerned is still required to be kept aloof.

Recording the submissions, the judge suo-motu impleaded the CB-CID as the necessary party in the case and directed the Investigating Officer, CB-CID to file a report on or before November 30 as to whether they have completed the investigation in full and if so, when charge sheet would be filed before the concerned court.

“If the investigation is not completed, still how much time they would require to complete the investigation and for the said purpose, any portion of the building in the premises of the School concerned is still required to be kept aloof, if so, for what period,” the judge wanted the CB-CID to reply these question in the form of a status report.

The deceased girl’s father’s advocate R Sankara Subbu wanted to file an intervening petition stating that the women’s commission’s inquiry report revealed that the investigation by the prosecution has some gaps and he opposed the reopening of the school.

However, senior counsel ARL Sundaresan for the school management submitted that his clients have completed the renovation works of the school and the same was inspected by the authorities from the school education department.