PIL in SC seeks probe into 17-year girl’s suicide in Tamil Nadu

Team Udayavani, Feb 2, 2022, 1:40 PM IST

New Delhi: A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking probe into the ”root-cause” of suicide by a 17-year-old girl, allegedly coerced to convert to Christianity in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

The plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay also seeks direction to the Centre and states to take stringent steps to control fraudulent religious conversion by ”intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits”.

”The injury caused to the citizens is extremely large because there is not even one district which is free of religious conversion by ‘hook and crook and the carrot and the stick’.

”Incidents are reported every week throughout the country where conversion is done by intimidating, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits and also by using black magic, superstition, miracles but Centre and States have not taken stringent steps to stop this menace,” said the plea filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey.

It said a ”nationalised” law on conversion needs to be passed for practical enforceability as state anti-conversion laws do not precisely define fraud, coercion, and inducement.

”The evidence of deceitful religious conversion can be accessed through social media, primarily on YouTube and Facebook. The Foreign-funded individuals and NGOs are provided with a road map and a monthly target about the number of religious conversions that shall be carried out,” the plea said.

The PIL stated that conversion is a pan India problem and the Centre must enact a law and get it implemented throughout the country.

”The Law should have in-depth scrutiny on foreign funds as many individuals operate under the veil of NGOs. The Law should also include provisions to restrict foreign NGOs from entering India during national calamities. Initially, the NGOs extend help but gradually, they start converting affected poor people, finding an opportunity as they are vulnerable and need help during calamity,” it said.

The plea has also sought directions to the Law Commission of India to prepare a report as well as a Bill to control religious conversion by intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits.

”Direct National Investigation Agency/Central Bureau of Investigation and/or National Human Right Commission/National Commission of Protection of Child Rights to investigate root-cause of death of 17-year-old Lavanya, who committed suicide in Thanjavur,” the plea said.

The 17-year-old student of the missionary school in Thanjavur belonged to Ariyalur district. A few days ago, she committed suicide.

The girl, a hostel inmate, was allegedly coerced to convert to Christianity. A video clip in this connection had gone viral. The school management had rejected the allegation and had blamed vested interests.

In the police statement as well as in the statement before the judicial magistrate, the child had directly and in unambiguous terms accused the hostel warden of burdening her by assigning her non-academic chores and unable to bear the same, she consumed pesticide.