Father said he was willing to replace missing handphone, Vasantha's brother tells court

GEORGE TOWN: The 16-year-old brother of M. Vasantha Piriya (pic), who hanged herself after being accused of stealing her teacher's handphone, said that his father was willing to replace the missing phone if it couldn't be found, the Coroner's Court heard.

Form Four student M. Meharaj said he overheard this being said during a conversation between his father, the teacher and her husband at their family home on Jan 24.

“My father said he will investigate the matter first.

“He also said that if they don't find the handphone, he would be willing to replace it,” he told the court.

He said after the 6.45pm incident, the teacher and her husband left and his sister Vasantha Piriya, 14, went to the bathroom and then returned to her room.

Meharaj said that the next thing he knew was that the family found Vasantha in the room with a scarf around her neck and that she was not breathing.

He was testifying at the inquest into the death of Vasantha, who hanged herself at home after being accused of the theft.

The Form Two girl was found unconscious in her room on Jan 24 when her father R. Muniandy had gone out with the teacher to discuss the matter.

The father then had to break down the door after his calls went unanswered.

Vasantha was rushed to the Sungai Bakap Hospital before being transferred to Seberang Jaya Hospital.

She died after a week in a coma on Feb 1.

Vasantha left a note, maintaining her innocence.

DPP Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim and J.G. Kaameni are conducting the inquest before the coroner, Sessions Court judge Norsalha Hamzah.

Lawyers Paramjit Singh and Sukhinderpal Singh are holding a watching brief for Vasantha's family and non-governmental organisation Malaysian Tamilar Kural while V. Parthipan, is holding a watching brief for the teacher.

The inquest will continue on July 4-6.