Abdul Latheef, father of Fathima Latheef, the first year student who was found dead last Saturday in the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) campus here, raised suspicions over her death and demanded a probe to bring out the truth.
Mr. Latheef, accompanied by a few others, met Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami at his residence and appealed to him for a fair probe into his daughter’s death. The Chief Minister reportedly assured him that a probe would be conducted and the guilty brought to book.
Earlier, after meeting Director-General of Police (DGP) J.K.Tripathy at State police headquarters, Mr. Latheef said the DGP assured him that culprits would be brought before the law.
The Kerala Chief Minister and the DGP of that State had contacted Mr. Tripathy and said that the accused should be arrested at the earliest to ensure that such crimes were not committed against any other girl.
Mr. Latheef said in one of the notes in her phone, his daughter blamed a professor of Humanities for her drastic step. He wanted the professor arrested. He said her daughter was frightened of the professor. It was difficult for her to attend class. She did not even go to collect her answer sheets. Her classmates collected them for her.
Seeks support
“I have doubts about her death. The CCTV footage has not been given to us yet. Where did she find the rope that was found in her room? After her death too, people have entered the room. We are not sure if Fathima was killed or it was a suicide. I am a helpless man from Kerala and I want all your support. Only a thorough investigation can bring out the truth,” said Mr. Latheef.
“One more Fathima should not happen in this country. No person with such potential or calibre should die like this . Was she killed or was it a suicide? What was the reason? The media should find out,” he said.
Meets Stalin
Mr. Latheef met DMK president and Leader of Opposition in Assembly M.K. Stalin and sought his support in the matter. DMK students’ wing stated a protest on Friday in front of IIT campus demanding that persons responsible for Fathima’s death should be arrested.
Meanwhile, the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Meghalina, who is chief investigation officer, and visited the IIT and began probe into the death.
