The death of a nursing student who allegedly immolated herself in Tiruchi on Thursday evening raised doubts among her parents and the victim’s husband who claimed that she was murdered.
They staged a dharna in the morning inside the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital where the body was sent for a post mortem and at the Collectorate in the evening demanding action against the nursing college principal, hostel warden, supervisor, and the killers.
A native of Manayeripatti in Thanjavur district, the victim – D. Geetha (25) was married to P. Durairaj six years ago.
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According to a complaint from the victim’s father K. Rajendran, Geetha had completed diploma in nursing in a private nursing college here and one year training.
The woman who was staying in the college hostel had informed her father in December-end that she was selected as a nurse in a private hospital in Tiruchi.
The woman, belonging to Dalit community, went to her parents’ home on New Year day and left the next day morning. Rajendran said in the complaint that he received a call from Thangaraj of the private hospital, which runs the nursing college, informing him of his daughter’s death.
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However, according to a police complaint from the college supervisor R. Robinson, Geetha set herself afire in the hostel upon learning that she failed in the exam.
She died on the way to the hospital as per the complaint. The Sessions Court police registered a case under section 174 of Code of Criminal Procedure.
The woman’s husband Durairaj alleged that there were cut marks on his wife’s head raising suspicion that she was murdered. Mr. Durairaj and his in-laws along with few persons and members of Puthiya Tamizhagam and Vidhuthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi staged a protest at the Collectorate where the Revenue Divisional Officer A. Basheer assured them of action. Sources said the post mortem was conducted by a team of doctors and the exercise was video recorded. The parents accepted the body at the night. Police sources on Friday night said three persons connected with the institution were questioned about the death.