CBI to probe IIT-Madras suicide

The investigation into the death of IIT-Madras student Fathima Latheef has been transferred to the CBI. Fathima Latheef, a student of IIT Madras had allegedly taken her own life by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her hostel room. She was a native of Kerala was pursuing an integrated MA program at the institute.

Chennai:Citing a directive from the Centre, the state government on Saturday transferred the probe into the death of IIT Madras student from Tamil Nadu police to the CBI.

The Madras High Court had earlier suggested that the investigation into the death of Fathima Latheef may be transferred to the CBI, taking into consideration the row and the protests that followed in its wake.

Dismissing a plea, moved by Loktantrik Janata Dal's Kerala unit seeking a CBI probe into all "14 suicides" reported at IIT-Madras since 2006, the HC had said, "The statistics provided by the government would disclose that between February 2008 and November 2019, 16 students of IIT(M), hostellers had committed suicide, maybe on account of stress and other related facts and unable to perform to their full potential."

The matter relates to the suicide by Fathima, a first-year humanities student in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, at her hostel on November 9 over which the students and political parties including the DMK staged protests.

Abdul Latheef, the father of Fathima Latheef, had alleged that his daughter was subjected to harassment and she feared Sudarshan Padmanaban, a professor of the institute.

Read: IIT Madras suicide: Fathima's father says daughter faced harassment, feared institute's professor