CBI takes over probe in death case of IIT-M student

The CBI has taken over the investigation in the case involving the death of Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) student Fathima Latheef, officials said on Monday.

The Special Crime Branch of the agency's Chennai unit re-registered the FIR of the local police on December 27 and took over the investigation in the matter.

Hailing from Kollam in Kerala, Latheef was a first-year student of the humanities stream (five-year integrated MA programme) in IIT-Madras.

Her body was found hanging from a fan in her hostel room on November 9, officials said.

The case was earlier being probed by the Kotturpuram police of Chennai and later transferred to the CCB.

The investigation was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) when her parents Abdul Latheef and Sajitha, along with a delegation of Kerala MPs, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on December 5 and sought justice for their daughter.

Fathima's family had found her suicide notes on her mobile phone.

Immediately after his daughter's death, Abdul Latheef had alleged in Chennai that he had evidence to prove that Fathima was being harassed by some professors in the department of humanities and social sciences.

He wanted a fair probe as he was concerned that Fathima's phone might be tampered with.