Bail petition of college head rejected

Chennai: The Madras High court today rejected the bail petition of the Chairman and Correspondent of a private college in Villupuram district, where three girls committed suicide last month over alleged exorbitant fee demands, but granted bail to two other accused.

Justice K Kalyanasundaram rejected the bail plea of Vasuki Subramaniam but granted the same relief to Swagar Varma, the third accused, and Peru Venkatesan, the fifth accused in the case, when their bail petitions came up before him.

The judge, while granting bail, directed both of them to appear before the investigation officer every day until further orders.

He directed them to furnish a personal bond for Rs 10,000 and two sureties for like sum to the satisfaction the Judicial Magistrate, Villupuram, to get bail.

On January 23, three girl students of SVS Medical College of Yoga and Naturopathy committed suicide by jumping into a well after harassment by the management demanding 'exorbitant' fees. 

College head Vasuki Subramaniam surrendered in a court in Chennai on January 25 and was remanded to judicial custody while two others, including its Principal, were arrested in connection with the case.

On January 27, the HC allowed a fresh autopsy of one of the girls who committed suicide on a request by her father who had sought a CB-CID inquiry and a fresh post-mortem in a state-run hospital in Chennai. He had also requested that a doctor of his choice be present during the autopsy.

The state CB-CID investigating the case had on February 8 submitted in the Court that the autopsy report of one of the deceased girls disclosed that death was not due to drowning.
On February 11, the Court allowed the second post mortem of one of the three girl students.

The court gave the order while allowing an appeal by the father of Saranya against the February 9 order of a single judge, dismissing his petition, seeking a fresh autopsy on the body of his daughter.