ORDER

1.This Criminal Original Petition is filed to quash the proceedings in Spl.SC. No.13 of 2023 on the file of the I Additional District and Sessions Court (PCR), Thanjavur, pending against the petitioner for offence under section 306 of IPC and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (POA) Act.

2(i). The petitioner / sole accused has been serving as the Principal of Sowdambiga Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Thuraiyur since 2003. A written complaint dated 25.12.2021 was submitted by the 3^rd respondent, which was registered under section 174 of Cr.P.C. in Crime No.818 of 2021 wherein it is alleged that the defacto complainant’s daughter had committed suicide by hanging on 25.12.2021 at about 11 am. After enquiry the alteration report was filed implicating the petitioner as accused for the alleged offence under section 306 of IPC read with 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (POA) Act.

2(ii). The case of the prosecution is that the defacto complainant/Vellaichamy belongs to the Schedule Caste community and his daughter/victim, Thulasi, had completed Higher Secondary and appeared for the NEET examination, but failed in “NEET 2018–2019”, she joined