INQUEST TO BE HELD INTO DEATH OF FORM 2 STUDENT
Police file sudden death report, will record more statements
AN inquest is expected to be held into the death of 14-year-old M. Vasanthapiriya, who died about a week following a suicide attempt.
She was accused of stealing a teacher’s iPhone last month.
State Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Zainol Samah said police had filed a sudden death report (SDR) to proceed with the inquest.
He said this would enable the coroner to look into the 24 statements taken by the police.
“We are going through the procedures. After this, the coroner will guide us on the next course of action.”
Zainol said police were investigating the case from all angles and would record more statements from witnesses after the investigation papers submitted to the deputy public prosecutor’s (DPP) office was returned.
It was reported that the Form Two student of SMK Methodist Nibong Tebal had been summoned by three teachers on Jan 24 and was quizzed over the disappearance of one of the teachers’ iPhone at the school.
Despite her repeated denials, one of the teachers reportedly struck the student for failing to own up to the theft.
The teacher and her husband, who is a teacher from another school, had allegedly threatened to lodge a police report. The girl, however, maintained her innocence.
They then took her home after school and told her father, R. Muniandy, about the incident. Even then, Vasanthapiriya was adamant that she did not do it.
Overcome with emotion, the girl tried to hang herself at home the same night.
She was found unconscious by Muniandy, who rushed her to hospital. She died without regaining consciousness on Feb 1 at Seberang Jaya Hospital.
Police are recording statements, including from media practitioners, to complete the investigation papers before handing them back to the DPP’s office.
Some of the media practitioners who covered Vasanthapiriya’s death were summoned yesterday to have their statements recorded in relation to Malaysian Tamilar Kural (MTK) president David Marshel’s statement.
It is believed that David could have made false claims about the incident.
“Hence, we want to record the statements of those who interviewed him, to know whether he made such statements.
“This will facilitate our probe,” a source close to the investigation said.