ABVP condemns the DMK Government's appeal to Supreme Court against CBI inquiry in Lavanya’s Suicide case

ABVP condemns the DMK Government's appeal to Supreme Court against CBI inquiry in Lavanya’s Suicide case

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) strongly condemns the DMK government’s appeal to Supreme Court against CBI inquiry in Ms. Lavanya’s suicide case. ABVP National General Secretary along with other office bearers addressed a press conference in Chennai on her two-day visit to Tamil Nadu.

ABVP feels that the DMK led government has betrayed the sentiments of bereaved family members by opposing the Madras High Court – Madurai Bench’s order to hand over the investigation of the Ms. Lavanya suicide case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by appealing against it in the Supreme Court. This in itself is an unprecedented step by a popular government going against the High Court judgment in a case relating to Women and Children.

A delegation led by ABVP National General Secretary Ms. Nidhi Tripathi visited family members of Ms. M Lavanya along with National Secretary, Shri Muthuramalingam and State Secretary – South Tamil Nadu, Ms. T Susila on Thursday.

The delegation found it atrocious on part of the DMK party leadership to have ignored the family of their cadre, as evident from the conversation with Shri Muruganandham (Ms. M Lavanya’s father). Shri Muruganandham happens to be an active worker of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) but still, no functionary has visited his family even to pay condolences.

Demanding thorough inquiry and filing of the criminal charges against the two nuns and the evangelical institution for forcing Ms. Lavanya to covert leading to her suicide further resulting in her death, ABVP has been protesting across the state of Tamilnadu as well as district centers and State capitals across India demanding justice to Ms. Lavanya’s memory.

The death by suicide of Ms. Lavanya M, a 17-year-old student in a Christian Missionary School at Michaelpatti of Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu, is most unfortunate and has moved the whole student community of our country. Her confession video on the death bed has shocked the entire nation. The video of the minor girl circulated on social media clearly stated the tortures she faced at the hands of a nun sister – Ms. Sagaya Mary attempting to convert her religion forcefully. She also said that in the same school, another nun sister – Ms. Rachel Mary had asked her parents for religious conversion to aid further studies a few times in the past two years.

The incident calls for action, but the Mr. Stalin-led government has been dormant. Rather two ministers of the ruling Tamilnadu government openly refused and denied the conversion charges even before any preliminary investigations. Despite the video evidence of the victim, the Tamilnadu Police also denied any charges of forceful conversion when the probe was in the initial stage. Moreover, the police did not even bother to include the religious conversion angle that the student has openly accused of the two nuns from the school the Christian Missionary runs. Subsequent non-cooperation of the TN government for the request of NCPCR raises doubts about the fair conduction of the investigation. Also, there is a possibility that the mobile may be tampered with and that the integrity of the investigation may be in question when the same mobile, which Ms. Lavanya used to record, has been under the TN Police's custody.

A YouTube channel with the name "India Ahead – Tamil" has released a video from the mobile, which is with the TN Police's custody, making stronger arguments to question whether the TN Police are conducting a fair probe? Also, to the same YouTube channel, an IG rank IPS officer appeared for an interview, which makes a stronger claim that Politico-Media nexus in Tamil Nadu is suppressing the truth and sanctity of the justice for Lavanya.M. In addition to these developments, the national commission called NCPCR in their recently issued circular explicitly stated the Tamilnadu government is not cooperating with the investigation of the deceased girl and not responding justly to the commission's queries.

Taking into cognizance of the mentioned facts, ABVP understands that the investigation by the Tamilnadu Police in the case cannot bear any fruits of justice to the case and now, while being thankful to the Hon’ble Madras High Court, the CBI shall be able to conduct a time-bound inquiry to facilitate speedy justice to the family of Ms. Lavanya and her memory seeking just solution in the matter of forceful conversion.

Hence, the ABVP presents the following demand for #JusticeForLavanya cause:

1. The DMK led government should stop harassing the family of Ms. Lavanya by maligning the very fabric of our family system.

2. The prejudiced DMK leadership should come clear of appeasement politics and missionary pressures and should acknowledge the statement of Ms. Lavanya about the forceful conversion.

3. ABVP demands that the Tamilnadu government should take immediate action against all evangelical intuitions to stop religious propaganda and forceful conversion by harassing minor students of other faiths which violates the Constitution of India.

4. ABVP demands the Government of India to take actions against academic institutions promoting institutional evangelism.

5. ABVP demands the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and National Commission for Women (NCW) to take stringent action against the harassment, forceful conversions across evangelical institutions, and in particular to Ms. Lavanya’s suicide case.

6. Demands TN government to promulgate the Law Against Forceful Conversion.

The press conference was addressed by Nidhi Tripathi (National General Secretary ABVP), L Muthuramalingam (National Secretary ABVP), T Susila (State Secretary – South TN), G Perumal (State Secretary – North TN), and K Nivedha (Central Working Committee Member ABVP)