Erode girl’s death sparks stir

The death of 19-year-old college girl triggered tension at the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) and the collectorate on Tuesday after the victim’s batchmates and other students of a private engineering college staged protests — there were claims that there was a rape angle to the incident — demanding a speedy probe into the suspicious death.

A large number of students of the Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology thronged the CMCH mortuary during the autopsy. Later, they moved to the Collector and staged a sit-in protest until Commissioner of Police A K Viswanathan assured them that the police would render all help to its counterpart in Erode for the investigation. “As the unfortunate incident occurred in Erode, police in the that district would investigate it,” the CoP said.

The students alleged that there were suspicions that the girl was raped as her body was found in a half-burnt condition near her village though she had boarded a bus from the place on Sunday itself. “It is said that Nandhini had called home and said that she had safely reached Coimbatore by Sunday noon. Confusion prevails as to how she was taken back to Sivagiri,” a student said.

A third year student who studied in the same department as the victim described her as a “calm and nice person”. Many of the students who turned up were seen breaking into tears upon hearing of her demise.

When they demanded that the doctor’s report on the death be revealed, the police refused, saying that no such information could be provided until the autopsy report was submitted.  Later, the students held a signature campaign, demanding that the administration take steps to ensure that the inquiry was finished soon. The victim’s sister and her relatives who came to the CMCH did not respond to the queries put forth by the media.

College dean R Chandramohan told reporters that the incident was unfortunate and that the college would take more efforts to ensure the safely of the hostel students. After the commotion at the CMCH died out, the girl’s body was sent to Erode by 2 pm.