Suicide of Fathima Latheef

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Fathima Latheef (2001–2019) was an Indian student at IIT Madras who died by suicide in her hostel on November 9, 2019. Her family said she faced religious discrimination and harassment by some professors and that she named three professors in notes found after her death. The case was investigated by Tamil Nadu police, the Central Crime Branch, and later the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which concluded there was no evidence against the professors.

Fathima was from Kilikollur, Kerala, and was raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with her twin sister Aysha. Her father Abdul and mother Sajitha described campus life at IIT Madras as oppressive. She studied at Yara International School in Saudi Arabia, then The Oxford School in Kollam, before joining IIT Madras in July 2019 as a first‑year humanities student in a five‑year program. Her family had said she had considered Banaras Hindu University but chose IIT Madras after discussing options with her mother.

On the day of her death, Fathima was found in her hostel room. Police said she had attempted suicide the night before and reported it as an unnatural death. A screenshot of notes on her phone blamed three professors, and forensic officials confirmed the notes were written by Fathima herself.

Initial police inquiries found no evidence against the professors. The case then moved to the CBI, which took over in 2020. The CBI’s final report said Fathima died by suicide due to homesickness and psychological issues, with no evidence linking the named professors or others to her death. The family and several MPs urged a fair and independent probe and highlighted concerns about discrimination.

In response to the tragedy, IIT Madras students organized a hunger strike and called for an external expert panel to assess student mental health and for a department‑level Grievance Redressal Cell. The university agreed to two of these demands, but said an internal probe could not be formed while police investigations were ongoing.

The case sparked broader debate about caste and religious discrimination on campus, with some students describing IIT Madras as hostile to minority groups. Fathima Latheef’s death remains a focal point in discussions about student well‑being and campus culture.