Order reserved on plea for CBI probe into IIT-M suicides

A division bench comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and R Hemalatha, before whom the plea came up, raised pointed questions as to whether student suicides transpires only at IIT-M and whether the probe needs to be transferred to CB-CID. However, noting that pleas based on apprehensions cannot be accepted, it reserved orders on the plea without mentioning a date.

The Kerala unit of Loktantrik Yuva Janata Dal, which had moved the PIL, had contended that the suspected suicides at IIT-M occurred reportedly due to the ill treatment meted out to those students from backward areas and lacking fluency in English.

Also, noting that IIT-M authorities have not taken any steps on the deaths 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.”

Taking up the alleged suicide of Fathima Lathief, the petitioner said that despite such deaths having been reported since 2006, no fruitful inquiry was so far held by the State.