IIT-Madras suicide: Students hold march

After a student of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) killed herself, allegedly after facing religious discrimination from professors, students from institutes across the city are organising protests in solidarity.

On Tuesday evening, students of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) held a protest on campus.

“This is the sixth case of suicide at IIT-M and the authorities cannot ignore the triggers anymore. The behaviour of faculty members and their discriminatory attitudes have led to many such cases of institutional murders,” said a student of IIT-B.

Fathima Latheef, 19, a first-year student of the five-year MA programme in Development Studies at IIT-Madras, committed suicide in her hostel room on November 9.

Latheef’s parents have blamed their daughter’s extreme step on harassment by some professors.

“We urge the IIT-M authorities and the police for a fair, unbiased and thorough investigation and that the accused faculty/ies be suspended until the investigation is over,” said another student.