Canteen Worker Says Vasanthapiriya's Teacher Took Her For A Drink Hours Before Her Death
He claims he saw them hours before Vasanthapiriya tried to kill herself.
By Sadho Ram — 08 Feb 2018, 03:25 PM
A canteen worker at Nibong Tebal SMK Methodist, whose teacher accused Vasanthapiriya of stealing her iPhone, allegedly causing the girl to kill herself, has claimed that he saw the student with a female teacher at the canteen hours before she tried to kill herself
According to a report in FMT, the canteen worker, who didn't want to give his name, said that a female teacher had taken Vasanthapiriya to the canteen between 4.30pm and 5pm on 17 January, hours before she attempted suicide in her room.
"A female teacher brought Vasanthapiriya to the canteen. She ordered an iced Milo, and sat at the long table on the far end," FMT quoted the worker as saying.
The worker added that the student was "not in her usual cheerful mood."
The canteen worker said that while Vasanthapiriya spent about half an hour at the canteen, she did not finish her drink before she left
"She looked down and appeared a bit fearful. I smiled at her, but she did not respond. So I just let her be. We are very used to seeing her at the canteen.
"She usually has a smile on her face. We are very shocked that this has happened to her," the worker was quoted as saying by FMT.
Meanwhile, the teacher in question now reportedly believes that Vasanthapiriya had passed the iPhone to her schoolmate
In its report, FMT said that according to a neighbour of the schoolmate, whose house is nearby Vasanthapiriya's, the teacher and her husband, after arriving at about 6pm on the day of the incident, had asked her if her neighbour was at home.
"I knew who the teacher was. She came to my house asking where was the girl from my neighbour's house. That girl is very close to Vasanthapiriya, I think they are good friends," FMT reported the neighbour as saying in its report.
On the other hand, the teacher, who has been receiving death threats and hate messages on social media, is forced to live in fear
According to a report in The Star Online, Harry Tan, the secretary-general of National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP), has urged the public to let justice run its course, adding that the teacher and her husband were members of NUTP.
"We have met with them and they have given their side of the story.
"Please stop hurling abuse at them and making threats. Some have even shared the teacher’s photo on social media, which is very traumatic for the family," The Star Online quoted the NUTP secretary-general as saying, today, 8 February.