CBI concludes IIT-M student Fathima committed suicide

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that probed the death of IIT-Madras student Fathima Latheef has concluded that the student committed suicide. The agency in its report also ruled out the possibility of mental harassment.

In its final report, the agency said that the girl had some psychological issues and she took the extreme step due to homesickness.

Fathima Latheef from Kollam had joined IIT-Madras in the humanities stream in July 2019.

She was found dead in her room no 349 at Sarayu hostel on the campus on November 9, 2019.

A special investigation team of the Tamil Nadu police was constituted to probe her death after her family complained that she was driven to suicide.

The Additional Commissioner of Police, Tamil Nadu, S. Easwaramoorthy in his report in 2019 had stated that Fathima committed suicide and that she was feeling homesick and was facing some psychological issues which has now been corroborated by the CBI.

The Kotturpuram police of Chennai initially commenced an investigation into the case. After finding a suicide note in her telephone, her father Latheef alleged that she was subjected to mental torture and harassment which pushed her to take the extreme step.

Latheef met the Chief Ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and there were student protests on the college campus. The state government then transferred the case to the Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch who reported that it was a case of suicide. The case was then handed over to the CBI in December 2019.

The family of Fathima Latheef said that they are not satisfied with the CBI report and they would file objections to the 2000 page report presented by the agency.

Advocate Mohammed Shah P.A., counsel for Fathima's family while speaking to media persons, said: "We have serious objections to the CBI's final report stating that it was suicide. The court has now issued notices to the parents of the victim and the matter is now posted for hearing on February 28. We will file strong objections pointing out to certain serious lapses in the investigation."

He said that the CBI does not have an answer why Fathima had in her suicide note mentioned the name of a professor for harassing her just before her death.

Shah said: "The warden seems to be highly enthusiastic to explain to the CBI that Fathima had homesickness and CBI had taken his statement on face value. The CBI concludes that Fathima is having psychological issues. We want the CBI to answer as to why the girl did not mention the name of any other professor except one. We will raise this issue during the judicial hearing."