IIT Madras agrees to hold talks with protesting students, Fathima probe still underway

The Management of IIT Madras has agreed to hold talks with the protesting students with regard to the ‘Fatima Suicide case’. Yesterday, a group of IITM students held fasting at the campus gate as a mark of protest demanding a fair investigation in the case. The students demanded an internal probe panel to be formed by the faculties and students to bring out the truth behind Fatima’s death and also to form complaint cells to look into harassment in every department inside the IITM campus.

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Management agrees to hold talks

The students had protested a week back inside the IIT Madras campus with the same demands but the management wasn't ready to listen then. With a greater number of students joining the protest at the IITM campus gate, the management has finally agreed to hold talks with the students.

Meanwhile, the director of IITM Dr. Bhaskar Ramamurthi is in Delhi to meet the HRD ministry officials to brief about the developments happening at IITM and in the Fathima suicide case. The students have been promised that they can hold talks and their demands will be fulfilled once the director is back in Chennai.

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The Central Crime Branch (CCB) team has already been probing the matter for last 5 days, a team has also been sent to Kollam district of Kerala to talk with Fatima’s family members as their statements are important in the case. However, neither any FIR has been filed nor any arrests have been made yet as the police team is still probing the professors who are alleged to be the reason for Fathima taking the extreme step.

READ | IIT Madras: Students Protest Demanding Inquiry In Fathima Lateef Death Case

Police sources say that the alleged professors did not appear for interrogation when they were summoned by the CCB’s special team yesterday, instead, the professors insisted the police team to visit the IITM campus to question them. After getting statements from Fathima's father, the Investigating Officer summoned the 3 IITM professors today to appear before the Chennai CCB office for questioning, however, they refused to move out of the IITM campus and asked the police team to visit them. Later, the probe happened inside a guest house at the IITM campus. The student wings of various parties have protested in Chennai today, seeking the arrest of the professors as no arrests have been made yet in the case.

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