Details of IIT Student Fathima’s suicide note name more faculties

Details of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras student Fatima Latheef’s suicide note ‘blame’ two more faculties. Apart from Sudarsan Padmanabhan, who was titled as the ’cause of her death’ in the opening note, Mr Hemachandran Karah and Mr Milind Brahme get mentioned in the following notes.

The 19-year-old Fathima had written multiple notes on her mobile phone that details the motive behind her action. The notes were shared by the family.

“In the case of my death, This should be considered as my last non nuncupative statement. I never realised that I would miss my home so much. I abhor this place. How I yearn for my home, to be suspended in that delicious inertia like an interminable sleep from which I can never be roused. In the case of my death, the whole of blame will be unremittingly upon Mr Hemachandran Karah and Mr Milind Brahme.” says one of the extracts from Fathima’s notes.

“She had mentioned that she was facing torture from the part of her teachers,” based on their earlier talks with Fathima the family informed.

Kollam, Kerala native Fathima Latheef was a first-year student in the institute’s Humanities and Social Sciences department. Fathima was a bright student who secured admission emerging first in an entrance test conducted by the centre last year.

The body of the 19-year-old student was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her hostel room.

Her twin sister Aisha Latheef filed a complaint regarding this with a local police station in Kotturpuram there.

The body of the girl which reached Nedumbasseri was brought to Kollam on Sunday. The burial was held at Kilikolloor Valiya Pally jamaat burial ground.

Fathima’s family has alleged that the faculties taunted her for belonging to the Muslim community.

“My daughter faced casteist and religious discrimination from her faculties. Earlier she said that her name (Muslim name) itself is a problem there”, Abdul Latheef told MediaOne TV today.

“More stringent laws required. Especially prosecute police for criminal act of shielding accused. When suicide note clearly mention Faculty Sudarshan how dare police blame, conclude low marks as the reason. imagine the pain student has to undergo when their dream of enrollment into ‘big’ institution comes true later realize the place as hell. Demand justice. Justice for Fathima. Punish the accused,” Umar Farook from Tamil Nadu who studies at JNU posted on Facebook.

Students’ Federation of India has expressed its grief and shock on the incident.

“It has come to our attention from the relatives of the departed and responses from the police that the investigation is not proceeding in a satisfactory manner. SFI strongly condemns the negligence of police and iit administration shown towards the investigation. SFI demands an impartial probe into the death of Fathima Latheef and IIT Madras should take immediate action against the accused professor,” V.P Sanu, national president SFI said.

Fraternity Movement has also demanded Justice For Fathima Latheef.

“It is an institutional murder. Resist Islamophobia in campuses,” Fraternity leaders said.

Student suicides are recurring at IIT Madras and there were five student suicides since the last December.