IIT Madras student's suicide: Family members blame faculty, Kerala CM offers to help - The Week

IIT Madras student's suicide: Family members blame faculty, Kerala CM offers to help
Her parents have alleged that Fathima has been facing mental harassment
Web Desk November 13, 2019 21:12 IST

(Right) The suicide note of Fathima Latheef (left), distributed among mediapersons | via Onmanorama


Family members of 18-year-old IIT Madras student from Kerala, Fathima Latheef, who allegedly committed suicide in her hostel room on Saturday, alleged that harassment by faculty members forced Fathima to take the extreme step.

Abdul Latheef, father of Fathima, said the suicide note retrieved from the mobile phone of his daughter clearly indicated the involvement of the teachers, reported Onmanorama.

Fathima, a first year MA humanities and development studies (integrated) student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, had joined the college in July 2019.

Her parents have alleged that Fathima has been facing mental harassment for nearly a month, reported Malayala Manorama.

Latheef, who is working in Saudi Arabia for the past 25 years, alleged that Tamil Nadu police have been trying to cover up the suicide and accused the cops of spreading false information. He cited reports that Fathima had killed herself as she could not score good marks in the first semester examination to buttress his point.

Fathima was brilliant in her studies and a topper in her class, he said and rubbished reports that she had taken the extreme step as she was worried about her academic performance. “She scored highest marks in her class in the last examination. Her friends are giving contradictory statements and seemed very scared,” he said.

Latheef said his daughter had acquired first rank in the All India IIT entrance examination.

Fathima had visited her home at Kollam on October 1 and had returned on October 8 (Friday). When her mother Sajitha tried to contact her on Friday, she spoke to her and said she would switch off the phone as she was preparing for her first semester examinations. That was the last conversation Fathima had with her mother, Latheef said.

Kerala CM offers to help

On Tuesday, Latheef met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and sought a fair probe into the circumstances leading to Fathima's death.

The chief minister assured Latheef that he would take up the issue with the Tamil Nadu chief minister.

Memoranda have been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and National Human Rights commission seeking a proper and fair probe.

Mobile evidence

Fathima had narrated all the harassment she faced from her teachers in a notepad on her tablet. On Saturday, when her mother tried to contact her, the phone was switched off following which she contacted one of her friends and asked her to check on Fathima. Later, she was informed by the hostel warden that her daughter had committed suicide.

Latheef alleged that the police had not had not listed Fathima's mobile phone as an evidence. “When we switched on the phone, we were shocked to see the screen saver. It asked us to check the notes on her tablet. While browsing through the notes, we found evidences for harassment by a faculty member (name withheld to protect identity),” he said.

On Saturday, IIT Madras, in a brief statement, had expressed deep grief over the student's death. "IIT Madras faculty, staff and students extend their deepest condolences to the family, friends and other near and dear ones of the deceased student. This is indeed an irreparable loss to the institute and the family. May her soul rest in peace," the statement read.

(With inputs from Onmanorama and PTI)

Watch: Protests erupt after a IIT student from Madras committed suicide

Watch: Protests erupt after a IIT student from Madras committed suicide Times Now Protests erupt 3 days after the death of a 19-year-old IIT Madras student, Fathima Lathif. Her family says that a note was found on her phone where ...

IIT-M suicide probe shifted to crime branch - Outlook India

THE NEWS SCROLL14 NOVEMBER 2019 Last Updated at 4:52 PM | SOURCE: IANS

IIT-M suicide probe shifted to crime branch

Chennai, Nov 14 (UNI) The investigation into the suicide by a first year IIT-Madras

girl student at her hostel in the campus was transferred to the Central Crime Branch

(CCB) wing of the city police, even as leaders of various political parties demanded a transparent probe into it.

Talking to reporters after inspecting the hostel where the girl student, Fathima Latif, ended her life two days back, Chennai City Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan said police interrogated some people in the campus in connection with the incident.

He said ''to unravel the truth behind the suicide, the probe has been transferred to the CCB'', he added.

Several student organisations staged a protest outside the IIT-Madras
in the city condemning the increasing rate of suicides in the campus and demanded a thorough probe.

About 50 SFI members were arrested by the police when they squatted on the arterial road and attempted to stage a dharna.

Meanwhile, leaders of various political parties, including DMK President M K Stalin, PMK Founder S Ramadoss and CPI State Secretary R Mutharasan expressed concern over the increase in suicides in the IIT-M campus.

In a statement here, Stalin demanded a transparent and fair probe into the suicide of Fathima Latif.

Stating that a time frame should be fixed to complete the probe, he said the remarks

of her parents that their daughter was subjected to religious discrimination by a faculty member, has shattered the belief of Tamil soil.

Ramadoss, in a statement here, said the role of the two Professors, named by the student, in the suicide should be probed.

Stating that 14 students have committed suicide at IIT-M in the last 10 years, he said the police should find out the reasons behind this and take steps to prevent such incidents.

CPI(M) State Secretary K Balakrishnan, Manitheneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) leader M H Jawahiruallah and other leaders also demanded a thorough probe into the incident.

--IANS

str/skp/

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: IANS

IIT-Madras suicide: Students protest, seek justice for Fathima Latheef - New Indian Express

IIT-Madras suicide: Students protest, seek justice for Fathima Latheef
While no suicide note was found, a note in her mobile phone had mentioned some faculty names as the cause of her death.



Published: 15th November 2019 01:33 PM | Last Updated: 15th November 2019 01:33 PM | A+A A-

Members of SFI protest demanding action on the faculty who where accused by Fathima Latif a student of Cheneai IIT on Thursday in Chennai. | (Photo | P Jawahar/EPS)
By IANS

NEW DELHI: Several students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, on Friday staged a protest demanding justice for Fathima Latheef, a first-year student of the same institute, who was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her hostel room on November 9.

While no suicide note was found, a note in her mobile phone had mentioned some faculty names as the cause of her death.

ALSO READ | IIT-M student Fathima Latheef's death casts a cloud on TN's secular credentials: MK Stalin

In the protest led by the Students Federation of India (SFI), students raised slogans calling for the arrest of the professors named in her suicide note, the protestors also demanded swift action by the police.

On Tuesday, Abdul Latheef, the father of the student, held a press conference and sought a fair probe, expressing concerns over the alleged influence of the IIT authorities.

Fathima Lateef hailed from Kerala and was pursuing her under-graduation course in the Humanities Department at the IIT Madras.

With 14 cases in 10 years, IIT-Madras tops list of suicides among contemporaries - New Indian Express

Saturday, November, 16, 2019 10:32:49 PM

With 14 cases in 10 years, IIT-Madras tops list of suicides among contemporaries

An RTI report reveals that a whopping 52 suicides were reported across eight IITs in the last 10 years.

Published: 14th November 2019 06:51 AM | Last Updated: 14th November 2019 06:51 AM | A+A A-

For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)

By SV Krishna Chaitanya
Express News Service

CHENNAI: Fathima Latif’s suicide is just the tip of an iceberg. A compilation of data accessed through several RTI responses reveals a whopping 52 suicides were reported across eight IITs in the last 10 years. Of this, IIT-Madras tops the list with 14 suicides. This year was the worst for IIT-M with four student suicides, including the ‘mysterious’ death of Fathima who was found hanging in her room.

So, what ails these top-notch engineering institutes? Many students and PhD scholars Express spoke to describe the ‘toxic environment’ at these institutions include, high expectations, solitude, cutthroat competition, apathy, and peer pressure, apart from general discrimination. “All these can lead to mental health issues,” they say.

Officials at the IIT-M had a standard response. The institution has a professional counselling system called “Mitr/Saathi”, which offers both face-to-face and online counselling by psychiatrists and doctors. There is also a wellness-team and some trained senior students and faculty who are ready to help all time.


“The structure enables preventive and reactive measures with respect to the emotional wellbeing of students. The institute also works on early detection and prevention as well. A new happy hours with faculty is being introduced in the freshers’ hostels providing an opportunity for an informal interaction between students and faculty once a week,” IIT- M said to Express.

A student counsellor said: “IIT Madras has over 8,000 students, and there are hundreds of them who seek assistance for various mental health issues. The institute’s image cannot be tarnished based on few unfortunate incidents. I agree more can be done.”

Psychiatrist Soumitra Pathare, who helped draft India’s new mental health law, said “IIT administration need to understand that there has to be a multi-dimensional approach. Assure students and families that they will not be penalised for having either mental health issues or having suicidal thoughts. They also need to review their teaching/curriculum and methods to see if this adds to the stress.”

The administration needs to commit itself to stamping out stigma against mental health, all forms of discrimination on their campus (eg. caste, religion, rural/urban), he said. Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha in July this year, Minister of Human Resource Development, Ramesh Pokhriyal, said several HEIs have engaged counsellors or psychologists.

The question on data regarding number of counsellors or psychologists working in HEIs and their average per HEI was not answered. Gaurav Kumar Bansal, Supreme Court advocate and mental health activist, who filed RTIs and compiled the data on suicides in IITs, said, "The government and IITs are just not doing enough."

The last time an IIT Council headed by MHRD Minister discussed mental stress on students was in April 2017, the Council identified academic, aspirational, social and lifestyle problems, while adopting various additional measures.


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TAGSIIT MadrasIIT suicide dataKollam girl suicideIIT suicidesIIT Madras suicide






IIT-Madras suicide: Students protest, seek justice for Fathima Latheef

IIT-Madras student's suicide case transferred to Central Crime Branch - Mumbai Mirror

IIT-Madras student's suicide case transferred to Central Crime Branch 

Read more at:
https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/iit-madras-students-suicide-case-transferred-to-central-crime-branch/articleshow/72056449.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

IIT suicide victim Fathima Latheef case transferred to CBI, city commissioner visits campus - Edex Live

IIT Madras

Published: 14th November 2019

IIT suicide victim Fathima Latheef case transferred to CBI, city commissioner visits campus


Fathima, a first-year Masters was pursuing her five-year integrated MA programme in the Humanities and Development Studies department of the institute



Edex Live

Edex Live

Fathima Latheef

Five days after IIT Madras student Fathima Latheef's suicide, the case was transferred to CBI on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Chennai police commissioner A.K.Viswanathan visited the campus and conducted an enquiry for a few hours as well. Fathima's family has been demanding a CBI probe over the last few days.

Fathima, a first-year Masters was pursuing her five-year integrated MA programme in the Humanities and Development Studies department of the institute. On November 9, she hung herself in her hostel room and left behind a suicide note on her phone accusing and naming professors who had allegedly pushed her to take the drastic step. She specifically names one particular professor who she says is the direct cause of her death.

Ever since the note has gone viral on social media, several people have demanded that immediate action be taken against the professor. In light of mounting pressure, the police have now transfered the case to the CBI and have promised speedy justice.

Fathima's is the ninth suicide since 2016. What is wrong at IIT-Madras? S Senthalir Manorama on line

Fathima's is the ninth suicide since 2016. What is wrong at IIT-Madras? S Senthalir 

NOVEMBER 14, 201...

Read more at: 

https://english.manoramaonline.com/news/nation/2019/11/13/fathima-latheef-kollam-girl-suicide-iit-madras-chennai.html

Dead student’s family points the finger at IIT teacher - The Hindu

KERALA

Dead student’s family points the finger at IIT teacher

STAFF REPORTER

KOLLAM, NOVEMBER 13, 2019 08:13 IST

‘Note from victim’s phone says teacher is reason for death’

The family of Fathima Latheef has alleged that the 18-year-old, who was found hanging in her hostel room at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, killed herself after facing harassment from a faculty member.

A suicide note retrieved from her phone says “her teacher is the reason for her death”, her father Abdul Latheef said at a press meet here on Tuesday.

Rank holder

Fathima, a first-year student of humanities and a rank holder, joined the IIT in July 2019 and was found dead in her room on Saturday.

Mr. Latheef alleged that the Tamil Nadu police have been trying to make a mess of the investigation and authorities are deliberately spreading the news that Fathima committed suicide since she could not score good marks in the first semester examination.

“But she was the class topper and had the highest marks in her class even for her last examination. When we tried to talk to her friends they gave contradictory statements and seemed very scared.”

Great concern

Pointing out that more than 10 students have committed suicide in the IIT, Madras, in last four years, Kollam Mayor V. Rajendrababu, who accompanied the family to Chennai, said it was a matter of great concern.

According to her family, the IIT has suspended the classes of her batch for the next 45 days following her death and all the students have been asked to go home.

When Fathima’s sister Aysha, Mr. Rajendrababu and other relatives reached the police station for completing the autopsy formalities, they found her phone casually kept at a corner.

“The mobile was switched off and the police hadn’t bothered to check it even after 14 hours of her death or list it as an evidence. When we charged the phone and switched it on, we were shocked to see the screensaver.

While browsing through the notes, we could find incriminating evidence that my daughter was facing constant harassment from this particular teacher,” they said. According to a kitchen staffer, Fathima was seen crying in the mess hall and a woman was seen consoling her hours before her death.

“She usually goes to mess at 8 p.m., but that day she was very late for dinner and reached around 9.30 p.m.”

The family has approached Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Minister J. Mercykutty Amma demanding immediate intervention and a fair probe.

Action sought

The faculty members responsible for the death should be charged with murder, said Ms. Mercykutty Amma in a statement. “There are complaints that the girl was subjected to communal discrimination by her teachers. A memorandum has been handed over to the Chief Minister requesting government intervention in the matter,” she said.

(Suicide prevention helpline: Disha: 1056, 0471-2552056)

IIT-Madras student Fathima's suicide: Family blames faculty, Kerala CM offers help Our Correspondent...Manorama On Line

IIT-Madras student Fathima's suicide: Family blames faculty, Kerala CM offers help Our Correspondent...

Our Correspondent NOVEMBER 13, 2019 11:11 AM IST...


Read more at: https://english.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/2019/11/13/kerala-cm-to-raise-iit-madras-student-s-death-with-tn-counterpar.html

(Right) The suicide note of Fathima Latheef (left), distributed among mediapersons during a press me...

Kollam/ Chennai: The family of the 18-year-old Fathima Latheef, a first year student of MA humanitie...

Read more at: https://english.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/2019/11/13/kerala-cm-to-raise-iit-madras-student-s-death-with-tn-counterpar.html

IIT-M student suicide: police question professors, students - The Hindu

IIT-M student suicide: police question professors, students

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI/KOLLAM, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 01:29 IST

Family alleges that she faced harassment from faculty


The city police interrogated a dozen persons, including three professors, staff and students of the Indian Institute of Technology - Madras (IIT-M), following allegations by the family of a 19-year-old girl student who ended her life in her hostel room last week.

Fathima, a first-year student of the five-year integrated Humanities course and a rank holder, joined the IIT in July 2019 and was found dead in her room on Saturday. The family has alleged that she killed herself after facing harassment from the institute’s faculty.

K.N. Sudarshan, Assistant Commissioner of Police, told The Hindu: “As soon as the case was reported, everything was done properly, all procedures were followed. So far, 12 persons, including witnesses such as students, her classmates, roommates and even professors have been questioned. The mobile phone was handed over to us and it has been sent to the forensic lab for analysis. Investigation is on and we cannot come to a conclusion as yet.”


On Tuesday, the family of the deceased approached Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan demanding immediate intervention and a fair probe. Her father Abdul Latheef said a suicide note which was retrieved from her mobile phone named the faculty responsible for her death.

He accused the Chennai city police of improper investigation and dismissed the police version that she took the extreme step as she could not score good marks, as wrong. The family claimed she was a topper.

Last Saturday, when Kollam Mayor V. Rajendrababu accompanied the family and relatives and reached the Kotturpuram station for completing autopsy formalities, they found her phone on a table. The police hadn’t bothered to check it even after 14 hours of her death or list it as an evidence, said one of them.

After switching on the mobile, they found a note that the girl was facing constant harassment from a particular teacher, the family said in Kollam. In the backdrop of those allegations, the Kotturpuram police began an investigation from Tuesday to ascertain the cause of death.

On Wednesday, political parties including CPI(M), Manithaneya Makkal Katchi and Campus Front of India voiced their protest. Campus Front of India staged a protest outside the institute demanding justice for the student. President of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi M.H. Jawahirullah said the case should be transferred to CB-CID and action taken against the accused.

K. Balakrishnan, State general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has urged the Ministry of Human Resource Development to conduct a thorough inquiry.

Efforts to reach out to the institute did not yield any result. Till late in the evening the institute did not respond, save releasing a note listing their initiatives to prevent suicides on campus.

Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.

2011 - Mahtab Ahmed- IIT Kanpour Student Commits Suicide

IIT Kanpur student commits suicide

IIT-Delhi student falls to death from campus building - Indo Asian NewsService

IIT-Delhi student falls to death from campus building

An 18-year-old student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi died after falling from the roof of the computer engineering department building, police said on Wednesday.
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Indo-Asian News ServiceNew DelhiNovember 13, 2019UPDATED: November 13, 2019 11:21 IST



Police said the investigation is on and that no suicide note was recovered from the spot. (File Photo)

An 18-year-old student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi died after falling from the roof of the computer engineering department building, police said on Wednesday.

According to the police, preliminary investigation has revealed that on the day of the incident on Friday last, the victim Ananya Gupta's mother after receiving a call from her daughter, visited her in the institute's campus at around 8 am and stayed with her till afternoon.

Later in the evening, Gupta was seen going alone towards the roof using a ladder. Soon after that a security guard near the lecture hall complex heard a sound and rushed to the spot where he found the student had fallen and was severely injured, police said.

Following that the student was admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where she succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.

Police said the investigation is on and that no suicide note was recovered from the spot.

ALSO READ | 19-year-old IIT Madras student, depressed over low marks, commits suicide

ALSO WATCH | IIT Kanpur student commits suicide

Five suicides in a year at IIT Madras put the spotlight on India’s premier institutes—again

Five suicides in a year at IIT Madras put the spotlight on India’s premier institutes—again

By Manavi Kapur

November 13, 2019

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, one of India’s most haloed institutions of higher learning, is grappling a serious suicide crisis.

Five cases have been reported over the past year alone, the latest dating Nov. 9, when Fathima Lathif, a first-year master’s student of humanities and development studies (integrated), was found hanging in her hostel room.

While no suicide note was found, the 19-year-old’s father, Abdul Lathif, has said that she left one on her cellphone, The Indian Express newspaper reported today (Nov. 13). In this note, she has reportedly blamed one of her professors for her taking the extreme step.

“There is a mystery behind this death. She told us about this professor earlier, too—that he makes some students cry. We also have information that she used to sit and cry regularly at the mess hall around 9 every night. So we demand that the police check CCTV footage,” Abdul Lathif told the daily.

A native of the southern India state of Kerala, Lathif’s family has urged the state chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, and prime minister Narendra Modi to intervene and order a thorough probe.

In the meantime, officials at IIT Madras have said they had no idea why the student took her own life. “Umakant Dash, head of humanities department at IIT Madras, said the entire department, including students and professors, were clueless how and why she died,” the newspaper reported. A topper of the IIT entrance exam held nationwide, Lathif was also reportedly a high scorer in most subjects.

In September this year, S Shahal Kormath, a student of ocean engineering, killed himself, according to NDTV. In January, two students—Gopal Babu, an MTech student and native of Uttar Pradesh, and PhD scholar Ranjana Kumari, a resident of Jharkhand—committed suicide. In December 2018, Aditi Simha, an assistant professor, took her life inside the staff quarters on campus.

A questionnaire sent to officials at IIT Madras went unanswered till the time of publishing this article.

The premier engineering institute ranked No.1 by the National Institutional Rankings Framework of the Indian government has often been called out for its toxic environment for students, especially those belonging to minority religious groups and lower castes in India.

No unity in diversity

Students battle all odds to clear the patently competitive IIT joint entrance exam, one of the toughest in the world, only to enter a campus where the academic pressure never relents. Though they are highly coveted technology schools, India’s IITs also offer humanities courses that are much in demand.

However, IIT Madras has often been viewed as a bastion of India’s traditionally privileged upper castes. “IIT Madras is an educational agraharam of Brahmins,” A Narayanan, director of Change India, a Chennai-based centre for advocacy and research, had told Quartz earlier. An agraharam is a traditional and exclusive housing colony of Brahmins found in southern India.

This has often spurred student bodies such as the Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle (APSC), founded in 2014, into protesting against the perceived bias. APSC sympathisers often mock IIT Madras as “Iyer Iyengar Technology”—Iyer and Iyengar being the Brahmin castes of Tamil Nadu.

Yet, student suicides—or allegations of caste bias—aren’t restricted to IIT-Madras.

Other Indian campuses

In May this year, Payal Tadvi, a medical student at BYL Nair General Hospital in Mumbai, committed suicide, alleging vicious casteist slurs cast by her peers.

The 2016 suicide of PhD scholar Rohith Vemula at the Hyderabad Central University sparked a nationwide fury. His suicide note had alleged bias against scheduled castes (a group deemed untouchable till the practice was banned in India) students and blamed top university officials and politicians for perpetuating the bias. “Please give us poison at the time of admission itself instead of humiliating us like this,” he wrote in his suicide note.

A high-stakes entrance exam, a rigorous academic regime, and a troubling job market scenario, too, add to the pressure-cooker environment that students face at India’s centres of higher learning. In July, an IIT Hyderabad student took his life and left a warning note for his friends that a dream job in the IT sector wasn’t all there was to life.

Between 2008 and 2011, up to 26 suicides were reported across IITs, the many Indian Institutes of Management, and the National Institutes of Technology. Of these, 16 were at the IITs alone, reported The Tribune newspaper.

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IIT-M student death: Parents demand fair probe after suicide note names professors - News Minute

Probe

IIT-M student death: Parents demand fair probe after suicide note names professors

Fathima Latheef's father has alleged that there was constant harassment from the institute.

Manasa Rao
Wednesday, November 13, 2019 - 13:27
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Days after his 19-year-old daughter, a class topper at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, killed herself in her hostel room in Chennai, Abdul Latheef has demanded a fair probe into the death of his eldest daughter. At a press conference on Tuesday, the distraught father expressed fears that his daughter Fathima's mobile phone containing her suicide note would be tampered with, under 'undue influence' of IIT authorities. The allegation comes even as the family has undergone a harrowing ordeal, attempting to coordinate with what they describe to be a complacent IIT-M management.

On November 10, a day after Fathima’s death, her sister Aysha and Kollam Mayor Rajendra Babu (Abdul Latheef’s friend) reached Chennai. Latheef was still on his way from Saudi Arabia after hearing the news of his daughter’s death.

“As per the request made by the police, when the phone of my daughter was switched on by my daughter Aysha, the screen read that she is holding a professor responsible for her death. Another note mentioned two other professors,” Latheef said.

Fathima’s sister Aysha told TNM that the family was asked to come to the police station as the inquest report was being prepared. “The phone was just lying there, they had not even switched it on. I took it and when I removed the lock screen, I saw this note on the screensaver,” she said.

Speaking to TNM, the father said, "This is a repeat of Rohith Vemula. I possess all records to prove that my daughter was being harassed by the department for the past 28 days. She has named faculty members in her notes. I do not know what sort of harassment she was facing there. Whether it was mental, or otherwise, I will fight till my last breath to bring those who harassed her to justice."

Kotturpuram Assistant Commissioner KN Sudarshan told TNM on Wednesday that an investigation was underway and 11 witnesses have been questioned. An FIR has been registered under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Police to enquire and report on suicide, etc.). “All allegations are being considered,” said the officer. When asked if the professors would be questioned, he said that ‘everyone concerned would be questioned’. The officer added that they were looking into various aspects of the case and said that the police had not inspected the suicide note as the phone has been sent for forensic examination.

Kollam Mayor Rajendra Babu however minces no words about the police. “They made us sit in a corner and did not care about the death. The phone was just lying there, anyone could have taken it. How can the police not have checked the screen? Why have they not taken any action till now? She died on Saturday.”

According to Abdul, his daughter returned to Chennai from Kollam on October 8. Exactly a month later, the first year student had told her mother that she was going to switch off her phone since she was studying for her semester examinations. “The next day (November 9) my daughter's phone was switched off. My wife contacted a fellow student staying in the adjacent room in the hostel and requested her to check up on my daughter as her phone was switched off. Thereafter on trying different numbers, none of my daughter's friends attended my wife's phone call. My wife was contacted by the hostel warden Prof Lalitha Devi to enquire whether my daughter was facing any problems at the hostel or college, and to the shock of my wife, she was informed that my daughter had killed herself,” the father said in his statement.

Though the police have questioned witnesses, it is unclear if the professors were among them.

"The mayor of Kollam was my daughter’s guardian while she studied in IIT. This is a man in the rank of Deputy Speaker and a lawyer. Despite him personally visiting the station to enquire about the suicide, the officers took no interest. They did not take anybody’s statement or enquire about the incident. We are yet to receive the post-mortem report,” the father said.

According to sources at the institute, the first year students of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences have been asked to go home following the developments. The end semester examinations due on Wednesday have been postponed to next semester. "Three exams have been converted to assignments, and two are rescheduled to be held in the next semester when they return from their semester break," said the source.

(With inputs from Sreedevi Jayarajan)
If you or anyone you know is feeling depressed or suicidal, consider reaching out to one of the following helplines:

Tamil Nadu:

State health department suicide helpline number - 104

Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050

Telangana:

Telangana government suicide prevention toll free number - 104

Roshni- 040-66202000, 66202001

SEVA- 09441778290, 040 - 27504682 (between 9 AM and 7 PM)

Karnataka:

Sahai : 24-hour helpline numbers: 080- 65000111, 080-65000222

Kerala:

Maithri helpline - 0484-2540530

Chaithram helpline: 0484-2361161

Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.

Andhra Pradesh:

Life Suicide Prevention Helpline No.78930-78930

Roshni -

Helpline 1: 9166202000

Helpline 2: 9127848584

IIT student's family demands fair probe into her death - Yahoo News

IIT student's family demands fair probe into her death

PTI12 November 2019

IIT student's family demands fair probe into her death Thiruvanathapuram/Kollam, Nov 12 (PTI) 

The family of the18-year-old IIT Madras student, who allegedly committed suicide three days ago in her hostel room, on Tuesday met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and sought a fair police probe into the circumstances leading to her death.

Fathima Latheef, pursuing her first year undergraduation course in the humanities stream, committed suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan, police in Chennai had said.

Fathima's father Abdul Latheef, who is working in SaudiArabia for the past 25 years, met Vijayan at the assembly complex in Thiruvananthapuram.

The family was assured by the CM that the matter would be taken up with Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami as a state's issue, Latheef later told reporters at Kollam.

Memoranda have been sent to Prime Minister, HRDMinister, TN chief minister, DGP, National Human Rights commission seeking a proper and fair probe, he said.

Her mobile phone had not been returned to the family, he said and alleged that the Tamil Nadu police was trying to torpedo the case.

Fathima was brilliant in her studies and a topper in her class, he said and rubbished reports that she had taken the extreme step concerned about her academic performance.

The eldest of his 3 daughters, Fathima's suicide has shocked the family.

Latheef said his daughter had acquired first rank in the All India IIT entrance examination and got admission in Chennai in July this year. She had visited her home at Kollamon October 1 and had returned on October 8.

When her mother tried to contact her on November 8, she spoke to her and said she would switch off the phone as she was preparing for her first semester examinations which was approaching. That was the last conversation Fathima had with her mother, Latheef said.

On Saturday, when her mother tried to contact her, the phone continued to be switched off following which she contacted Fathima's friend and asked her to check.

Later, she was informed by the hostel warden that Fathima had committed suicide, Latheef said.

In a brief statement on Saturday, IIT Madras had expressed deep grief and sadness over the student's death.

'IIT Madras faculty, staff and students extend their deepest condolences to the family, friends and other near and dear ones of the deceased student.

This is indeed an irreparable loss to the institute and the family. May her soul rest in peace.' PTI COR UDBN BN

IIT Madras woman student hangs self in hostel room over low marks - Hindustan Times

IIT Madras woman student hangs self in hostel room over low marks

Police suspect Fathima Latif, a first-year masters student of humanities, may have killed herself after getting low internal marks.

TAMIL-NADU Updated: Nov 09, 2019 22:13 IST

M Manikandan

Hindustan Times, ChennaiA 19-year-old woman student of Indian Institute of Technology Madras committed suicide in her hostel room in Chennai, police said on Saturday. (Representative image)


A 19-year-old woman student of Indian Institute of Technology Madras committed suicide in her hostel room in Chennai, police said on Saturday.

Police suspect Fathima Latif, a first-year masters student of humanities, may have killed herself after getting low internal marks.

“The girl was from Kollam in Kerala. Fatima was staying in Sarayu hostel in IIT-M campus in Guindy in room number 346. On Saturday, Fatima’s room was locked until 11.30am. When her friends broke open the door, Fatima was found hanging from the fan,” a source with Kotturpuram police station said.

Fatima’s mother Sajitha Latif was trying to reach her daughter through phone since Friday morning, an inquiry officer added.

“This was the first time Fatima was staying away from her family in the hostel. She was very homesick. Also, she recently got low internal marks. So, these might have driven Fatima to commit suicide,” the police officer said while speaking to HT.

Kotturpuram police filed a case and sent Fatima’s body to Royapettah Government Hospital for an autopsy.

HT’s could not reach authorities at IIT-M for comment.

IIT-Delhi student falls to death from hostel building; suicide suspected -New Indian Express

IIT-Delhi student falls to death from hostel building; suicide suspected

The mother of the deceased told the police that her daughter was under stress due to her studies.

Published: 13th November 2019 12:14 AM | 

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. (Photo| EPS)
By PTI

NEW DELHI: In a suspected case of suicide, an 18-year-old student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, died after falling from the fifth floor of her hostel building on the campus, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Friday, they said, adding the family has not alleged any foul play.

Police said they received information from AIIMS Trauma centre around 6 pm on November 8 that an IIT student was admitted and later succumbed to her injuries.

The mother of the deceased told the police that her daughter was under stress due to her studies, they said.

In her statement, the mother told the police that on the day of the incident, she received a call from her daughter after which she visited her and stayed with her till afternoon, a senior police officer said.

Later in the evening, a security guard near the lecture hall complex heard a sound and rushed to the spot where he found the student had just fallen, the officer said.

In a CCTV footage, the student can be seen going alone towards the ramp of the fifth floor of the hostel, the officer added. Police said no suicide note was found and the post-mortem report is awaited.

Kollam: Family for probe into IIT suicide - Deccan Chronicle

Kollam: Family for probe into IIT suicide

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedNov 13, 2019, 4:15 am IST
UpdatedNov 13, 2019, 4:15 am IST

Fathima Latheef, 19, was found hanging from the ceiling of her hostel room on IIT Madras campus on Saturday.

Fathima Latheef, 19, was found hanging from the ceiling of her hostel room on IIT Madras campus on Saturday.


Kollam: The family of the Kollamite who committed suicide at IIT Madras met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday seeking a fair probe into her death for which the latter assured an intervention at the state level.

Fathima Latheef, 19, was found hanging from the ceiling of her hostel room on IIT Madras campus on Saturday.

Her father alleged that cops at the Kotturpuram police station there was trying to sabotage the case by not even starting a preliminary probe.

“The IIT authorities have claimed my daughter took the step because of her poor performance in academics, which is not true. She secured the first rank in All India IIT entrance test and continued to be a topper in her class,” her father Abdul Latheef of Ran-damkutty in Kilikolloor said.

She was an integrated MSc student at the humanities and social science department.

The family also alleged that the police refused to admit that they received a suicide note on her phone which the family members who reached the police station tactically verified.

In the note, she had mentioned the name of a professor with her department who was responsible for her death. Her father also accused the police of trying to play down the information and hinted at communal discrimination on the campus.

Fathima had visited her home in Kollam on October 1 and returned on October 8.

She and her mother had their last conversation over the phone on the night of October 8 after she reached the hostel. Next day onwards her phone was off and later a hostel warden informed the family that the girl was no more.

First-year IIT Delhi student dies in hospital after suicide bid

First-year IIT Delhi student dies in hospital after suicide bid

Picture used for representational purpose only (Source: Shutterstock)Team Careers360 | Nov 12, 2019 - 5:32 p.m. IST
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NEW DELHI: A first-year student of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, passed away early morning on November 9, after attempting to take her own life on November 8, as per an internal note sent out to students. She had been taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences.


Ananya Gupta was in the first year of computer science engineering. An official from IIT Delhi told Careers360 that the institute had conducted a condolence meeting on November 11.

In a note to students, IIT Delhi director, V Ramgopal Rao, wrote: “Losing a fellow student and member of our institution can be very difficult. I encourage those who feel they may need additional support to contact the Counseling Center/counsellor…. They will be available today and tomorrow as well. There will also be a special counselling session today in Himadri, coordinated by the Dean (Student Affairs) office.”

Gupta, from Delhi-NCR, was a resident of Himadri hostel on campus.

'Just an email away'

Rao told the student community that the IIT Delhi administration “will investigate all the reasons and causes that led Ananya to take such an extreme step”. No reason was immediately apparent to the officials. She had a loving family, close friends, a mentor and was also doing well academically, the note says.

Rao encouraged students to seek help directly from him or the dean, student affairs and reassuring them, wrote: “We are all there for any assistance you may need. I must also remind you again, we are just one email or phone call away and nothing can be more important to us than your well-being.” He further added: “We all need to do more to connect with each other at a deeper level and also as a community. Please take care and seek help when it all becomes a bit overwhelming.”

This is the third case from the IITs in under a month. In late October, third-year student Pichikala Siddharth died by suicide at IIT Hyderabad and on Saturday, Fathima Latif, a first-year student of humanities and development studies, allegedly committed suicide in her hostel room.

In an earlier interview, Johnson Thomas, director of suicide prevention helpline Aasra, had told Careers360 that around 60 percent of callers on the helpline are students.

For help, AASRA has a list of resources here: http://www.aasra.info/helpline.html

Write to us at news@careers360.com

Kin demand probe into IIT student’s suicide - New Indian Express

Kin demand probe into IIT student’s suicide

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. 

Published: 12th November 2019 06:23 AM | Last Updated: 12th November 2019 06:23 AM | A+A A-
By Express News Service

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.

IIT Madras student's parents seek probe into suicide, allege mental harassment by faculty - Edex Live

IIT Madras

Published: 12th November 2019

IIT Madras student's parents seek probe into suicide, allege mental harassment by faculty


Based on their earlier talks with Fathima the family informed that their daughter had mentioned that she was facing torture from the part of her teachers





Edex Live


Edex Live











Image for representational purpose only




The parents of 19-year-old Fathima Lathief, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Madras) student who committed suicide on Saturday, have alleged that their daughter took the extreme step after being mentally harassed by some of her faculty members. Kollam Mayor V Rajendrababu, who's also a family friend of the student, along with her family members went to Chennai to receive her body. The body of the girl which reached Nedumbasseri was brought to Kollam on Sunday around 1 am. The burial was held at Kilikolloor Valiya Pally jamaat burial ground around 9 am.


"There is some mystery related to the incident. The police have recovered a suicide note from Fathima's room and in the note, she had blamed some teachers and students for torture and harassment," said the Mayor.


Based on their earlier talks with Fathima the family informed that their daughter had mentioned that she was facing torture from the part of her teachers. Based on which, a complaint has been filed by Fathima's twin sister with the Kotturpuram police seeking a probe into the incident, said one of her relatives.


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The body of the 19-year-old student was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her hostel room. Although investigations are currently underway, the police suspect Fathima committed suicide as she was depressed over scoring low marks in her internal examination. Kollam native Fathima Latheef was a first-year student in the institute's Humanities and Social Sciences Department. On Saturday afternoon, her friends had gone to call her when they found her not answering the door. They informed the hostel warden who with the help of the security broke open the door only to find her dead.


Meanwhile, the authorities of the college have expressed grief over her death in a statement and also informed that the department had no role over the tragic death of the girl. "IIT Madras faculty, staff, and students extend their deepest condolences to the family, friends and other near and dear ones of the deceased student. This is indeed an irreparable loss to the institute and the family. May her soul rest in peace," read a portion of the statement.


What comes as a shock is that this is the fifth suicide at IIT Madras in the last one year. A final-year Ocean Engineering student from Kerala's Palakkad had committed suicide in September this year. Earlier in January 2019, a first-year M Tech student and a native of Uttar Pradesh committed suicide in his room.


Recently, a PhD scholar from Jharkhand also committed suicide. In December 2018, Aditi Simha, an assistant professor at IIT, committed suicide in the staff quarters on the campus.

19-YEAR-OLD MALAYALI STUDENT KILLS SELF INSIDE IIT-MADRAS CAMPUS

19-YEAR-OLD MALAYALI STUDENT KILLS SELF INSIDE IIT-MADRAS CAMPUS
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Galatta Daily English
Galatta | 02:05 PM

In what seems to be becoming a common incident, an IIT-Madras student took her own life, allegedly over low academic performance. Since December 2018, this is the fifth case of suicide at IIT Madras.

According to sources, the girl from Kerala was enrolled in an integrated MA programme in a Humanities subject. The first year student had reportedly missed several calls from her mother on Sunday, following which the mother called some other students who stayed at the same hostel. When their repeated knocks failed to elicit a reply, the students informed the hostel warden and, with the help of security personnel, forced the room open to find the girl dead.

The Kotturpuram Police, which was informed, registered a case and took the body to the government Royapettah hospital for autopsy. Though it is being widely considered a suicide, no suicide note has been recovered from the girl's room. Inquiries were on to find out if there may be any other reason behind the death.

In September, S Shahal Kormath, a final-year Ocean Engineering student from Palakkad, had committed suicide. Earlier in January, Gopal Babu, a first-year M Tech student from Uttar Pradesh, committed suicide in his room. A PhD scholar, Ranjana Kumari from Jharkhand, also committed suicide recently. In December 2018, Aditi Simha, an assistant professor at IIT, committed suicide in the staff quarters on the campus.

121119 - Kollam: Girl's relatives allege torture on IIT campus

Kollam: Girl's relatives allege torture on IIT campus
DECCAN CHRONICLE.
PublishedNov 12, 2019, 1:52 am IST

A letter from IIT Madras expressed deep regret on the "death of first-year degree student with humanities department."

A suicide note recovered from the girl's possession is with the police that registered a case based on a petition by her twin sister Aisha Latheef.

Kollam: Relatives of the Kollamite who committed suicide at IIT Madras have alleged that she took the extreme step because of mental torture she faced on the campus.

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

Meanwhile, the body of Fathima Latheef, 19, was brought to her hometown in Kilikolloor and laid to rest on Monday after autopsy procedures at Royapettah Government Hospital in Chennai.She was an integrated MSc student at the IIT's humanities and social science department. Her body was found hanging from the ceiling of the hostel room on Saturday morning.

Fathima is the daughter of Abdul Latheef, of Keelomthara Veedu, Priyadarshini Nagar at Randamkutty in Kilikolloor.

A suicide note recovered from the girl's possession is with the police that registered a case based on a petition by her twin sister Aisha Latheef. 

According to the relatives, a teacher and a group of students mentally harassed the girl, and it was affecting her academic performance. They remember Fathima as a bright student who secured admission emerging first in an entrance test conducted by the centre last year.

A letter from IIT Madras expressed deep regret on the "death of first-year degree student with humanities department."

...
Tags: iit madras
Location: India, Kerala, Kollam (Quilon)

Girl student of IIT M ..

Girl student of IIT M ..

Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/71987170.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

IT Delhi student succumbs after suicide attempt; reasons unknown - Newsd.In

IIT Delhi student succumbs after suicide attempt; reasons unknown

A first year IIT Delhi student attempted suicide on November 8 and succumbed next morning in AIIMS hospital at about 5 AM.
by Newsd
Updated on : Sat 09th November 2019, 11:04 PM





A first year student at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi attempted suicide on November 8 and succumbed next morning in AIIMS hospital at about 5 AM.

As per the sources, the first year student identified as Ananya Gupta was pursuing B.Tech (CSE) at IIT Delhi. On Friday, she attempted to take her life and passed away on November 9 at AIIMS hospital.

Sources informed Newsd that moments before Ananya took the extreme step, she was with her mother. However, the reasons for her action remains unknown.

The university has launched an investigation into the matter. More details awaited in the matter.

To everybody’s shock, this was the second suicide attempt reported in the week. Earlier this week, a research scholar at IIT Delhi allegedly committed suicide in her room on Tuesday evening.

As said in the reports, Manjula Devak (28) was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her room at Nalanda Apartment on the campus. The police received a call around 7.45 pm from a friend after which a PCR van reached the spot and took her to a nearby hospital where she was declared brought dead.

Manjula, a civil engineer pursuing a PhD in water resources, had earlier worked in the US but returned to join IIT Delhi. Originally from Indore, Manjula lived in the apartment with husband Ritesh Virha. No suicide note was found in her room.

Suicide crisis - Millenium Post

Suicide crisis 

MPost9 

Nov 2019 2:26 AM 

Suicide among students is becoming horrifyingly common and the recent cases in Telangana remind us of several matters that have gone out of order in the rush to an elusive better life. 

A 3rd year student of Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad allegedly committed by jumping off his hostel building on the premises of the IIT campus. He had reportedly communicated through a mail to his friends and some family members informing them that he had decided to end his life because he was lagging behind in studies. 

Yet another student hanged herself due to alleged harassment by lecturers. 

The mounting pressure on students and the relentless push in the direction of performing well, getting a job, settling down, running a life in way to gain social acceptability have all combined to cause many students to give up in this unfortunate manner. 

According to data from the NCRB, a student commits suicide every hour in India. Addressing this concern is more than necessary. India has one of the highest suicide rates among people aged 15 to 29 and this accounts for over a third of global suicides among women each year. 

Academic stress is a major reason for suicides among students in India and this is a pressure that does not end with school, or college, or with a course. Parents play a critical role in this regard as they help shape an individual's mind which may or may not harbour the thought of suicide. 

Considering the case of Rohith Vemulla, many argue that caste-based discrimination lies at the root of student suicides in India. In 2007, the Thorat Committee was set up to investigate allegations of harassment against students that belong to the scheduled castes and tribes at AIIMS and it found rampant discrimination against students, many of whom claimed that they were segregated and asked about their caste during examinations. Drawing from this is a point that institutional pressures are of crucial significance and the environment that a student lives in plays a decisive role. 

As much as institutional support is necessary, a favourable social system is the primary need to avert unfortunate incidences of suicide. The need for concerted effort to bring in education about prevention of suicide cannot be emphasised enough. Several factors contribute to a suicide and not all can be investigated but creating a positive environment in general and awareness of reasonable expectations and respect for mental health is the necessary first step to address the crisis of suicide among students.

http://www.millenniumpost.in/editorial/suicide-crisis-383835

091119 - IT Madras student commits suicide - India Glitz

IIT Madras student commits suicide

Saturday, November 9, 2019 •

Tamil




A first-year MA student from IIT Madras was found hanging in her hostel room earlier today. The girl, identified as Fathima Lateef, hailed from Kollam, Kerala.

Investigation on the matter has just begun and the police are yet to ascertain the cause of her suicide. 

A first-year student, Gopal Babu from Uttar Pradesh, who was pursuing his M.Tech programme from the institute was found dead in his room in the Brahmaputra hostel in January 2018.



A 25-year-old woman research scholar from Jharkhand was found hanging in her hostel room at IIT-M on the eve of New Year 2019. 

A final year student of oceanography from Kerala was also found hanging inside his hostel room at the institute in September last year