Distressed by custody ruling, 14-year-old girl jumps from Madras High Court

Chennai: A 14-year-old girl attempted to take her own life by jumping from the first floor of a Madras High Court building on Tuesday, moments after the court directed that she be placed in a government-run children’s home in Kellys, Chennai.

The girl, whose parents are divorced, had been brought before a division bench hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by her father. He had reported her missing, but police later located her at her grandmother’s home, according to TNIE.

Appearing before Justices MS Ramesh and V Lakshminarayanan, the girl expressed that she did not wish to live with her father--who resides alone in Neelankarai--and instead wished to live with her mother, who is based in the Andaman Islands.

However, after reviewing a confidential counselling report, the court concluded that the environment in the Andamans might not be safe or stable enough for the child’s welfare.

“Since the girl expressed that she does not want to live with her father, the only alternative left to us is to direct her to be put in a safety home,” the bench observed.

The court ordered the police to escort the girl to the Kellys home the same day. It also instructed her father to accompany her for psychiatric counselling sessions at the Institute of Mental Health in Kilpauk, starting Wednesday, and for subsequent follow-ups. Notably, the court also directed that the father undergo counselling himself, noting he had been emotionally distant from his daughter for a prolonged period.

The girl’s mother and grandmother were granted permission to visit her during authorised visiting hours at the home.

Moments after the order, and reportedly distressed by the decision, the girl jumped from the first floor of the court building. Police personnel immediately intervened and rushed her to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, where she is receiving treatment. Her condition is currently stable, according to hospital sources.

The case has been adjourned to 28 August.

(Attention: Suicide is not a solution to any problem. Those struggling with mental health issues should seek help from professionals. The 'Disha' helpline provides free counselling and support services. Dial toll-free helpline number: 1056 or 0471-2552056)