Kollam: Teachers as well as students will be under scrutiny over the death of IIT, Chennai, student Fathima Latheef who belonged to this town in Kerala. As the probe gathers steam it has come to light the teen had made a few adverse remarks against three teachers in all and some students of the premier institute.
After Fathima was found dead in her hostel room on November 7, initially it was reported that she had blamed her professor, Sudarsan Padmanabhan, for her death as per her account on the mobile post. The wallpaper of her mobile phone carried a message which pointed to this faculty. Besides, there was another message on the wallpaper to check the special note.
The names of two more teachers have been found in the special note saved in the mobile phone. According to sources, the note also has some adverse comments against some students.
The note, which starts by saying that she loves her parents and sisters, further states that she hates the place she was in. Along with this, she has named two more teachers responsible for her death, the sources reported.
Fathima had not kept any password or pattern for opening her mobile phone. Since the mobile phone had ran out of power, her relatives who came to Chennai after her death had to charge the mobile phone first before switching it on. They copied her wallpaper message to another phone.
Right from the beginning, Fathima's father Abdul Lateef had said that apart from Sudarsan Padmanabhan, two more teachers and a few students were responsible for his daughter’s death and demanded that all the accused be booked.
The FIR, which points to a case of suicide, states that the first person who found the body of Fathima was classmate named Aleena Santhosh. Fathima’s classmates had seen her in her room till 12 in the night the previous day. Fathima was despondent then, they said.
According to police sources, initial probe could not substantiate allegations that Fathima faced religious discrimination.
The investigation team took the statement of Fathima's father on Saturday. Fathima's sister Aisha's statement would also be taken at her house in Kollam, Kerala.
Bar on teachers
Chennai: The three teachers named in the suicide note of Fathima have been asked by the investigation team not to leave the campus.
Though Sudarsan Padmanabhan, who has been held responsible for her death in the mobile phone note of Fathima, is on leave he is suspected to be on the campus.
The Crime Branch team is yet to examine her mobile phone that has been sent for forensic tests on court orders.
The investigation team has said that they will examine the mobile phone, which is likely to be a key evidence, in the presence of the family.
As part of the inquiry, Union Secretary for Higher Education R Subramanyam will reach Chennai on Sunday. His visit follows talks between Union minister V Muralidharan and Central HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal.
Meanwhile, another Union minister Ramdas Athawale said in Kozhikode that the Tamil Nadu government will be asked to conduct a thorough probe into the death and prospects of handing over the probe to the CBI could also be looked at.
