CHENNAI: Four woman teachers of a city college , who were accused of strip-searching a student and thereby driving her to commit suicide, have to face trial, as a special court on Friday refused to discharge them from the case.

On January 29, 2011, a student of MGR Janaki College complained to her teachers that Rs 4,000 she had kept with her had gone missing. Teachers checked every student, but Divya, a third year BCom student, was alone strip-searched in front of others, said the CB-CID probing the case. Shamed, Divya committed suicide on returning home.

A case of abetment to commit suicide, punishable under Section 306 of IPC, was registered against four lecturers – Jayalakshmi, Sudha, Selvi and Vijayalakshmi – for allegedly strip-searching the student.

On a complaint from the girl’s mother, police registered the case, and it was later transferred to the CB-CID.

After the agency filed its chargesheet before the mahila court here, the lecturers filed petitions seeking discharge from the case, saying the investigating agency had deliberately suppressed letters written by other students stating that no such strip-search incident occurred on the campus.

CB-CID, however, said their case was supported by witness depositions, documentary evidence and medical records.

Special judge Meena Sathish, concluding there was prima facie case to proceed against the lecturers, said they could raise such arguments at the time of trial. She then dismissed their petitions, paving the way for commencement of trial in the case.