Student outfit, parties seek detailed probe into girl’s death at IIT

“The faculty accused of causing Fathima’s death should be instructed to go on leave until the investigations are over,” it said.

A police source said senior officers held a meeting on Wednesday evening to discuss the developments in the case. A police team visited the campus and inquired the hostellers who stayed with Fathima and a few students stayed with her in Sarayu, the hostel. They also conducted inquiries with about 15 people, including the hostel warden.

Meanwhile, IIT-M management claimed that as there were a series of suicides in the last few years, it had brought in a session on mental health counselling while welcoming new students. On an average, about 850 students are admitted to IIT Madras every year in BTech, and BTech-MTech Dual Degrees programmes.

CPI (M) and Manitheneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) on Wednesday demanded a probe by the state police into the suicide, and sought action against the faculty member for allegedly subjecting her to religion-based discrimination.

In a statement, CPI (M) State secretary K Balakrishnan said that the student has left a note alleging that she was subjected to religion-based discrimination. “When the parents of the student went to file a complaint against those responsible for her suicide, the police not only refused to accept it but also acted indifferently with them,” he alleged.

MMK leader MH Jawahirullah said in a statement that he had spoken to Abdul Latheef, the girl’s father who alleged that his daughter was subjected to religious discrimination by a 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. “The girl’s father had told me that there was religious discrimination,” he said.

The MMK leader demanded a probe by the CB-CID into the suicides by the students in IIT-M.