Plea to prevent inquiry by ‘independent committees’

A group of residents from Michaelpatti have approached the district administration on Friday demanding that ‘independent committees’ formed by parties/outfits with religious affinity should not be allowed to conduct an inquiry at their hamlet in connection with the recent death of a schoolgirl.

In the memoranda, one penned by members of Hindu and Muslim Communities residing in Michaelpatti and the other by the villagers, they claimed that they had been living in harmony for over five generations and no issues had cropped up among them based on religion.

Stating that after the unfortunate death of the schoolgirl, some groups with religious affinity have started propagating that religious conversion was rampant in the village, particularly at the school in which the deceased girl studied, the petitioners condemned the attempt to project the village in a bad light.

Hence, they demanded that the ‘independent committees’ formed by religion-based parties/outfits barred from entering the village and conducting inquiries about the cause of death of the schoolgirl.