Lavanya suicide case

In January 2022, 17-year-old student Lavanya Muruganantham committed suicide in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, India. Her parents alleged that the student was forced to do work by the warden, after she allegedly refused to convert to Christianity. The investigation was transferred by the Madras High court to the Central Bureau of Investigation, due to lapses on the part of the state police in conducting the investigation.

Incident Lavanya Muruganantham was a 17-year-old student of Sacred Heart Girls Higher Secondary School, a recognized minority school administered by Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.

On 9 January 2022, Lavanya consumed pesticide in an attempt to kill herself. After she was taken to a hospital, she regained consciousness. She died on 19 January 2022.

Senior police officer in Thanjavur, Ravali Priya Gandhapuneni, said that the police had recorded Lavanya's complaint, statement and dying declaration in front of the Judicial Magistrate. Lavanya did not speak about religious conversion while recording her statements. The parents of the girl also did not allege religious conversion. She noted that the police had also started investigation on the allegations of conversion. The team was to submit its report after meeting Lavanya's family members, Department of School Education officials, school authorities, classmates and the representatives of local government. The team reported that the alleged religious conversion angle in the death was 'fabricated and being politicised'.

TNCRW's team found that the alleged religious conversion angle in the death was 'fabricated and being politicised'. The fact finding team had inquired with the public and the village panchayat members about the claims of religious conversion. They found that the management did not use words related to religious conversion. On 31 January, upholding the plea from Lavanya's parents the Madras High Court ordered the case to be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation for further investigation.

On 14 February 2022, the Supreme Court hearing the plea of Tamil Nadu government challenging the Madras High Court judgement, refused to intervene with the High court judgement.

Politics South China Morning Post reported that the far-right Hindu groups in the region often accused the health care and educational institutions run by the Christian organisations of proselytising. K. Annamalai, the president of Tamil Nadu wing of BJP was leading the political campaign that focused on the death of the girl. They demanded that independent committees created by the political parties and religious organizations be prevented from conducting investigations in their village. The girl's father too petitioned the Collector, seeking action against school authorities for "forcing his daughter to end her life."

The parent-teachers association president, residents, parents of students and alumni of the school, where Lavanya studied, submitted their separate petition to the Collector, seeking protection for the School. They stated that since the death, some political parties and religious outfits were carrying out a "smear campaign" against the school and teachers. In their petition, action against these parties and outfits was sought. Iruthayaraj stated that she had worked in the rural areas for the education of poor children. He added, "Justice will prevail. We will continue to work for religious harmony."

Unverified video

After her death, an unverified video was shared in the social media captured by Vishwa Hindu Parishad's Ariyalur District Secretary, in which Lavanya is seen alleging that she was forced into chores related to cleaning, maintenance and administration of the hostel. She identified herself in one video by providing personal information. In another video, she explained about the chores she was made to do in school, and in another, she talked about her stepmother.

The videos were first investigated by the police and the case heard in the Madurai bench of the Madras High court.