The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights alleged on Friday that the Tamil Nadu government is not extending support to it in the case of a 17-year-old girl who died by suicide earlier this month in Thanjavur district.

In an unverified video shared on social media, the girl could be purportedly seen saying that she may have been harassed as her family had refused to convert to Christianity.

The NCPCR said on Friday that its team led by chairperson Priyank Kanoongo will visit Thanjavur to inquire into the girl’s death on January 30 and 31.

“The Government of Tamil Nadu is reluctant to extend the necessary facilities/support to the NCPCR team for the said inquiry into the incidence on the pretext of imposition of Model Code of Conduct which came into force due to Local Body Ordinary Elections in the State of Tamil Nadu,” the panel said.

The commission said that it will nevertheless go ahead with the visit.

The commission’s team will meet the superintendent of police, the investigating officer, the girl’s parents, classmates, doctors who treated her as well as those who conducted her post-mortem, and authorities at her school.

“Since state Government is not extending support to the visit of NCPCR, the Commission will arrange the above series of events at a designated place to be identified on reaching Thanjavur, which shall be made public through NCPCR social media platform,” a press release by the child rights body said.

The girl reportedly drank poison on January 9, and died 10 days later. Her father has alleged that she had been tortured as she had refused to convert to Christianity. The girl’s parents have sought action against a nun who allegedly sought to convert her.

In the video, the girl is seen saying that she was abused by her hostel warden. She also reportedly claimed that she was forced to clean the hostel and carry out administrative work.

Meanwhile, the Thanjavur Police are looking into the veracity of another video in which the girl purportedly said that she was taking her own life as she could not focus on her studies due to the chores she was asked to carry out at her hostel, The Hindu reported on Thursday.

There are no allegations about religious conversion in this purported video. The video appeared to have been taken while the girl was undergoing treatment at a hospital.

On Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party chief JP Nadda formed a four-member committee to inquiry into the girl’s death and submit a report to him, PTI reported. The panel will comprise party leaders Sandhya Ray, Vijayshanti, Chitra Wagh and Geeta Vivekananda.

The BJP has strongly criticised the police action in the case, and has called for an investigation into allegations of forced religious conversion.