The suicide of 19-year-old Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-Madras) student, Fathima Latheef has escalated as the premier institution has been witnessing continuous demands for justice since the tragedy took place.
Fathima Latheef's parents are going to meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and senior members of the police department today urging them for a fair probe and to discuss the doubts behind their daughter's death.
What is the case:
On November 8, 19-year-old Fathima Latheef, an undergraduate student of Humanities at IIT-Madras allegedly committed suicide in her hostel room.
Preliminary police investigations suspected that the student, a native of Kerala, was depressed because of poor performance in the examinations. Police initially believed that her low marks were the reason behind taking the dire step.
However, three days after her suicide, Fathima's father Abdul Latheef, appealed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to ensure a fair probe in the matter as his daughter in a text had reportedly accused one of her professors of harassing her.
The suicide note:
Fathima's father Abdul said that on the day she committed suicide, she told him that she will be switching off her phone as she wanted to study. The next call he got from the premier institution was to let him know about the death of his daughter.
On reaching Chennai after getting the news of the suicide, Fathima's sister Aysha switched Fathima's phone on and found a message in it blaming one of her professor's to be the "cause of her death".
The family, after reading the message on Fathima's phone, believe that she was constantly under harassment by her professor at IIT Madras and said, "it hurt her dignity".
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Manitheneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) leader MH Jawahirullah said that he had spoken to Abdul Latheef who alleged that his daughter was subjected to religious discrimination by the accused faculty member.
According to Jawahirullah, Fathima's father had told him that once the professor had given his daughter three marks less and the same was corrected after it was brought to the notice of the head of the department.
Fathima's father Abdul has also accused IIT-Madras officials of giving "contradictory statements" to "cover-up" the matter.