KOLLAM: Parents of Fathima Latheef, the IIT Madras student who committed suicide on Saturday, alleged that harassment by some faculty members drove the 19-year-old to death. Mayor V Rajendrababu, who’s a family friend of the deceased, said, “There is something mysterious about the entire incident. Police have recovered a suicide note from Fathima’s room in which she accused some teachers and students of harassing her,” said the mayor, who had accompanied Fathima’s kin to Chennai to receive her body.
Relatives said Fathima had disclosed her ordeal at the hands of teachers. Based on this, her twin sister Aisha Latheef has lodged a complaint with the Kotturpuram police. It is believed the poor scores obtained by her in the internal exams prompted Fathima to take the extreme step.
IIT authorities, while expressing profound sadness at the passing of the first-year student of Humanities and Social Sciences Department, said they are not to be blamed. Fathima has been buried at the Valiya Palli Jamaat after her body was flown to Nedumbassery in Kochi early on Sunday before being brought home. She is the daughter of Abdul Latheef and Sajitha, ‘Keelomthara’, Randamkutty in Kilikolloor.