On Saturday, a 17-year-old girl was found hanging dead in an Islamist religious study center (madrassa) near Balaramapuram in Thiruvananthapuram district. Her family claimed that the death was suspicious. Asmiya Mol, a native of Beemapally, died by hanging, and her relatives filed a complaint with the police.
The minor victim stayed at the Mosque-centric residential learning school (Dars/Madrassa). She called her mother around 2 pm and complained to her family about this institution. The girl asked her mother to come to Balaramapuram immediately.
Suspiciously, the Dars authorities did not initially allow the mother to meet the child. When the lady reached the institution around 3.30 pm, they claimed the ustad was not there and denied her permission.
Later she was informed about her daughter’s death. The family was informed the child had hanged himself in the bathroom. Relatives alleged that the madrassa authorities tortured and abused the child. They said that the girl started complaining after last Ramadan. Why the family remained silent until now remains mysterious.
Local police registered a case of unnatural death and started an investigation.
Students study both Islamic and material subjects on such residential campuses. These madrassas also run courses affiliated with various universities and thus receive government grants according to UGC norms.
