Death of three girl students not due to drowning, Madras HC told

In a startling turn of events, the Crime Branch Crime Investigation Department (CBCID) on Monday told the Madras High Court that the death of three girls of S.V.S. Medical College of Yoga and Naturopathy and Research Institute, Villupuram, was not due to drowning.

The bodies of the three girl students -- T. Monisha, E. Saranya and V. Priyanka -- were taken out of a well in a farm near the college, around 170 km from here, on the evening of January 23.

While police registered a case of suicide, the parents of the girls alleged that the daughters were murdered for protesting against the lack of basic facilities in the college.

"The CBCID submitted to the court the first post-mortem report. According to the report, there was no water in the lungs and other organs of the girls which is normal in the case of people who get drowned," S. Rajinikanth, advocate for Monisha's father Tamilarasan, told IANS.

He said the second autopsy done on Monisha's body on the high court's orders was expected to be submitted by the CBCID on Tuesday.

Tamilarasan had petitioned the court for a second autopsy as the first was conducted without his consent.

Police in Villupuram said the three girl students ended their lives after the management demanded higher fees even though the college lacked basic facilities.

Police arrested Vasuki, Sukhi Verma and two other top officials of the college while the Villupuram district administration sealed the college.

Nearly four months ago, a few students of the college had allegedly attempted suicide in front of the Villupuram collectorate.