Tamil Nadu Teen Found Dead At School, Family Demands Principal's Arrest

A Class XI student was found dead in a closed well within the school campus in Tamil Nadu's Tirupattur district on Sunday, a few days after he was reported missing.

16-year-old Mugilan stayed on campus at Dominic Savio Higher Secondary School, a government-aided residential school near Tirupattur. After his parents filed a missing complaint with the police on Friday, police launched a search for the teen.

After an intensive two-day search, police recovered the boy's body from a closed well located within the school premises. Investigators say the grill over the well has a small opening.

The discovery sparked outrage among his family, who questioned how the boy could have accessed a locked well. Massive protests followed as political parties and religious outfits joined hands with the family, demanding the arrest of the school's priest Father Jesu Manickam and that the school be sealed immediately. Protesters also staged a road blockade and surrounded the Tirupattur police station, demanding justice for Mugilan.

Speaking to NDTV, a senior police officer said, "We have not been able to ascertain details of the case yet. We are awaiting the post-mortem report to determine the cause of death." Suicide is among the possible causes being investigated, the officer added.

Authorities have since shut the school. Forensic experts from Vellore, along with revenue officials and the District Child Protection Officer, have inspected the hostel premises. They are also recording the statements of hostel students.

At the Tirupattur Government Hospital, his family refused to accept Mugilan's body until their demands, including Manickam's arrest and school's sealing, are met. Heated arguments broke out between the grieving family and the police, briefly causing disruptions near the hospital.

Tirupattur Superintendent of Police Shyamala Devi has initiated inquiries against the school priest.