Maha students demand investigation in Fathima Latheef case, show solidarity with JNU protests

The Maharashtra Joint Action Committee for Social Justice on Wednesday staged a protest in front of Mumbai University seeking a fair investigation in the case related to Fathima Latheef and in solidarity with JNU students who are protesting against fee increase.

They demanded an investigation into the "institutional murder" and punishment for the culprits. The aggravated students were raising slogans against the government and placards that read, "Stand With JNU" and posters of Fathima Latheef.

"Fathima was discriminated on the basis of her identity. Faculty had a problem with her being Muslim and on that grounds, she was also harassed. This series of harassment leads to her committing suicide. We are protesting against this Islamophobia that exists in our society," Raafil Shahab a student told ANI.

"We demand full eradication of discrimination that exists in the institutions on the basis of gender, religion, caste, class. We demand Anti-Discrimination Law. We want justice for Fathima. We are also protesting against the lathi-charge on JNU students and against the fee hike," he added.

"We don't take this as a suicide but as an institutional murder. Institutions are targeting Dalits, Muslims. So we are here to protest against these issues," another student Suvarna said.

In the first case, the IIT-Madras students who were on a hunger strike, demanding justice for Fathima Latheef, called off their protest after the administration assured to meet their demands.

Latheef, a student of IIT Madras had allegedly taken her own life on November 9 by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her hostel room. She was a native of Kerala and was pursuing an integrated MA programme at the institute.

In the second case, thousands of JNU students have been protesting against the fee increase and new hostel manual which also includes provisions on dress code and curfew timings since October 28. The matter blew out of proportion after a clash broke out between the students and police during the students' protest.