Fathima’s suicide case handed over to CBI

A senior officer noted that the State government decided to hand over the case to the CBI nearly a month of investigation by the Central Crime Branch of the Chennai city police into the death of the student, which had triggered a controversy.

The Centre, too, favoured an investigation by the CBI, as the incident had led to a row about the functioning of central institutions like IITs. Fathima was found hanging in her hostel room in the IIT campus on November 9 morning. She is believed to have left a suicide note in her mobile phone blaming her professors for taking the extreme step. After initial inquiry by a team from Kotturpuram police, the case was handed over to CCB for a detailed probe. Fathima’s father had approached High Court and also submitted a petition at the Prime Minister’s Office seeking CBI enquiry into the death of his daughter.