Prof on the run in IIT-M suicide case

CHENNAI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The father of a first-year student of humanities in IIT Madras who committed suicide on Saturday claimed a suicide note naming a professor was found on her phone, accused the police of not doing enough, and likened her death to that of Rohit Vemula, a student of University of Hyderabad who committed suicide after alleged harassment by varsity authorities for his caste.

The parents, from Kollam (the father is an NRI who works in Saudi Arabia) met Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday seeking his intervention in ensuring a free and fair probe. On Wednesday a group workers belonging to the Popular Front of India carried out a protest rally before the campus.

Meanwhile, a senior Chennai police officer said a case under Section 174 (unnatural death) of the IPC has been registered and that the police is taking statements from many including the girl’s classmates.

According to the father, when his youngest daughter opened the phone of her dead sister, the screen had a note that said she was holding a professor responsible for her death.

“Since it was main evidence we were asked to hand it to over to police and now they are saying they are yet to get any note in this regard. I suspect foul play,” said the father.