Once holy, education has become a lucrative business: HC

Madurai: Education, which was once considered holy has now become a lucrative business, Madras high court observed while directing the Tenkasi district superintendent of police (SP) to appoint a sincere police officer of the rank of deputy superintendent of police or inspector to probe the death of a five-year-old girl student on a school campus in Tenkasi district.The court was hearing the petition filed by V Marisamy. The petitioner's daughter, who was studying UKG in a private school, was found dead on the school campus on March 24, 2026. The school management claims that two people, who came to the school in a car to see a staff member, drove the car in a rash and negligent manner on the school premises and hit the child, due to which she died. The petitioner, not satisfied with the manner in which the criminal case was registered and investigated, approached the high court seeking a CB-CID probe in the case.The petitioner's counsel submitted that the grievance of the petitioner is that he was not informed about the incident till he personally saw the dead body of his daughter in the hospital. However, the state submitted that the CCTV footage has been recovered by the police and they have also identified the accused. On verifying the CCTV, police found that the watchman had in fact objected to the car entering the school as the students would come out by that time; however, the accused entered the school and drove the car in a rash and negligent manner and, therefore, the accident took place.Justice B Pugalendhi observed that it appears that this private school has a compound with a gate and watchman. While so, it is not known how this car was permitted on the school campus during school hours. In the event that the police were informed about the vehicle number at that time, then the accused would have been secured on the same day and the police could have found out whether the accused were in an inebriated state or not.The judge observed that considering the manner in which the FIR was registered belatedly, without specifying the name of the accused and without securing the accused, and also considering the fact that the vehicle involved was not immediately seized by the police, the court is of the view that this is a fit case for transfer of investigation. Hence, the judge directed the Tenkasi SP to entrust investigation to a sincere police officer, and ensure that a fair and proper investigation is conducted.
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