The Madras High Court on Monday ordered another post-mortem examination of a 17-year-old girl who was found dead in a private residential school in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district on July 13, The Hindu reported.

On Sunday, violent protests had erupted in Chinnasalem town in Kallakurichi district near which the school is located. A large number of residents as well as outsiders broke the barricades placed near the school and stormed the premises. The protestors set at least 15 school buses and a police van on fire and also ransacked the school.

The parents of the Class 12 girl have alleged that she was sexually assaulted before her death, The News Minute reported. They have also refuted police’s claims that she died by suicide.

The first post-mortem examination, conducted on July 14, showed that she had sustained injuries before her death.

The girl’s father then filed a writ petition before the High Court seeking a fresh autopsy.

At Monday’s hearing, Justice N Sathish Kumar accepted his request and directed the authorities that investigation of deaths reported in educational institutions must be done by the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department of the Tamil Nadu Police. In such cases, post-mortem examination must be done by a team of three doctors, the judge added.

Justice Kumar also said the post-mortem must be videographed and allowed the girl’s father as well as his counsel K Kesavan to be present during the examination without causing any disturbance. He barred the girl’s parents from talking to the media about the case.

The judge directed the parents to take the body once the autopsy is completed and conduct her funeral in a peaceful manner.

The judge also asked the Tamil Nadu Police to form special teams to identify those who took part in violence on Sunday. The demonstrations turning violent all of a sudden appeared to be “an organised crime”, he said as he sought strict action against the miscreants.

Justice Kumar told the police to file a status report about the investigation into the violence by July 29.

The case

In an affidavit, the girl’s father said his wife went to the hostel on July 13 and found blood on the floor where her daughter was alleged to have fallen from the third floor, The Hindu reported. But, blood stains were also visible on the wall of the hostel verandah, 10 feet away from where she had allegedly fallen, according to the affidavit.

Citing this, the father said her daughter had fought for her life before she was found dead. They claimed that the family was not allowed to check her hostel room and blood stains were seen on the hostel footsteps too.

The police have arrested the school’s chairperson, secretary, principal and two teachers in connection with the girl’s death.

After Sunday’s violence, the matter was transferred to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department.