The Madras High Court on Friday reserved its verdict on a public interest litigation petition filed by the National Students Union of India, associated with the Congress, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the death of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)- Madras student Fathima Latheef on November 9.
Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and N. Seshasayee deferred their judgment after pointing out that the petitioner union had rushed to the court within a couple of days after sending a representation to various authorities seeking a fair probe into the issue.
Earlier, the Central Crime Branch police opposed the plea for a CBI probe.
An Additional Government Pleader told the court that the investigation into the death was now being conducted by a woman officer in the rank of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police and monitored by Additional Commissioner of Police C. Eswaramurthy, who had served in the CBI for quite some time on deputation.
Political affiliation
The post-mortem report had been received and the investigation was at a very premature stage. Therefore, there was absolutely no necessity for a CBI probe, the AGP said.
The AGP also brought to the notice of the court that the litigant before the court was a students’ body affiliated to a political party.
In an affidavit filed on behalf of the students’ union, its State president N. Aswathaman, 27, said it had no faith in the State police and hence the probe must be transferred to the CBI.
He pointed out that Fathima Latheef, hailing from Kollam in Kerala, had joined a postgraduate course in humanities and development studies at IIT-M in July 2019. Despite being a class topper, the woman was suspected to have committed suicide and her body was recovered from the hostel room on November 9.
Acting on the basis of a complaint lodged by the hostel warden claiming that the deceased was actually home sick and that could be the reason for her death, the Kotturpuram police here had registered a first information report and commenced investigation which was subsequently transferred to the Central Crime Branch police.
The petitioner said the woman’s father had suspected foul play in the death since there was suicide note in her mobile phone. He said that five students had committed suicide on IIT-Madras campus between April 2018 and November 2019 and yet the institution had not addressed the problem.
Claiming that the probe by the local police would lack credibility, the petitioner insisted that the investigation must be handed over to the CBI to instill confidence of a free and fair probe in the minds of the woman’s family as well as the general public. He cited a few Supreme Court decisions in support of his case.
