PIL seeks CBI probe into 14 suicides at IIT-M since 2006

The plea moved by its national president Saleem Madavoor alias Muhammed Salim contended that the suicides were reportedly owing to the professors ill-treating the students coming from backward areas and face hardship in speaking English.

Also, noting that the head of the institution has not taken any steps to find out the reason for this type of suicide despite the existence of a complaint redressal committee, the petitioner said, “So far 14 students, including five from Andhra Pradesh, three from Kerala, two from Tamil Nadu, two from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Puducherry and Jharkhand have reportedly committed suicide in the institution since 2006, as they faced discrimination on the basis of religion, caste and language.”

While holding that the recent case is that of Fathima Lathief, who committed suicide allegedly due to religious discrimination at the hands of some faculty members, the petitioner said, “Though such suicides had been reported from 2006, neither the Tamil Nadu government nor the local police had conducted any fruitful inquiry to bring out the reason behind such deaths.”

Based on this, the petitioner wanted the court to intervene and order a CBI probe into all the 14 suicides as per the representation given by him on November 23. The PIL is likely to be taken up for hearing on Monday.