‘Dad wanted to compensate teacher’

Vasantha’s brother told court their father agreed to replace allegedly stolen handphone

GEORGE TOWN: The father of M. Vasantha Piriya, who hanged herself after being accused of stealing her teacher’s handphone, wanted to replace the missing handphone if it could not be found, a Coroner’s Court here heard.

This was revealed by the girl’s 16yearold brother Meharaj, who overheard the conversation between his father, the teacher and her husband at their family home in Nibong Tebal.

“My father said he would investigate the matter first.

“He also said that if they could not find the handphone, he would be willing to replace it,” he told the court yesterday.

Meharaj was testifying at the inquest into the death of his 14yearold sister, who was found hanged at home after being accused of the theft on Jan 24.

Her family then rushed her to the hospital.

She died on Feb 1 after a week of being in a coma.

Vasantha left a note, maintaining her innocence.

Meharaj said the teacher and her husband left the house at about 6.45pm on that day, while Vasantha went to the bathroom and then returned to her room.

He said the next thing he knew was that the family found Vasantha in the room, with a scarf around her neck and that she was not breathing.

M. Himapria, who is Vasantha’s sister, said the teacher and her hus band came to the house to tell their father about the missing handphone.

“My father then asked my sister whether she took the handphone.

“She said no,” she told the court, adding that the teacher and her husband then left.

Himapria, 18, said her father then went out to pick up their mother.

Deputy public prosecutor Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim and J.G. Kaameni conducted the inquest before Coroner Norsalha Hamzah.

Nongovernmental organisation Malaysian Tamilar Kural claimed that Vasantha tried to hang herself hours after being accused of stealing her teacher’s handphone.

Lawyers Paramjit Singh and Sukhinderpal Singh are holding a watching brief for Vasantha’s family and nongovernmental organisation Malaysian Tamilar Kural respectively, while V. Parthipan is holding a watching brief for the teacher.

The inquest will continue on July 4, 5 and 6.