IIT-Madras suicide: Fathima Latheef's sister says Modi, Shah assured of CBI probe

Sister of a 19-year-old IIT-Madras student, whose body was allegedly found hanging from a ceiling fan in a hostel room, on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have assured a thorough probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the death case.

Speaking to ANI, Aisha, twin sister of deceased Fathima Latheef, said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah met us today. They assured us that the case will be handed over to the CBI within a week or two and that a fair investigation will be carried out."

Fathima Latheef's sister said that Prime Minister has assured that "all such incidents in IITs and IIMs will be investigated" into the matter.

"The golden hours of the investigation was wasted by the local police. It was only after four-five days that the case was handed over to the crime branch of Kerala police. We are hopeful that the real culprits will be brought to justice," she said.

Fathima's father had alleged that the professors named in the 19-year-old's suicide note had harassed her in the name of religion which led her to suicide.

According to the police, three professors have been interrogated in IIT-Madras guest house inside the campus so far.

Fathima Latheef, a student of IIT Madras had allegedly taken her own life by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her hostel room on November 9. She was a native of Kerala and was pursuing an integrated MA programme at the institute.

Fathima was staying at the Sarayu hostel on the campus.

Following the incident, the police, in its primary investigation, had revealed that Fathima was staying away from her family for the first time and had scored poorly in her internal exam.