GEORGE TOWN, Feb 1 — The Education Ministry has promised that justice will be served in the case of a 13-year-old who hanged herself after a teacher accused her of stealing her handphone last week.

Deputy Education Minister II Datuk P. Kamalanathan said the ministry will cooperate fully with the police in getting to the bottom of the case.

“We view this case with utmost priority and want justice done without fear or favour,” he said when contacted by Malay Mail.

He said a police investigation into the case is underway.

Advertisement

“The teacher in question has been moved to the district education department,” he said.

Kamalanathan was commenting on Vasanthapiriya Muniandy’s death today after she hanged herself last week.

A teacher in her school, SMK Methodist Nibong Tebal, had allegedly accused the Form Two student of stealing her handphone on January 24.

Advertisement

In the incident, where three other teachers were also present, the teacher also threatened to report the student to the police.

The teacher then allegedly locked the student in a room for several hours before taking her home to confront her parents.

The student hanged herself in her room while her parents were talking to the teacher.

She also left a note apologising to her parents for taking such an action and said that she did not take the teacher’s handphone.

Vasanthapiriya was in a coma for about a week before she died at 3.30am today.