Shocked to learn about the death of IIT student Fathima Lateef. The Central Crime Branch must carry out a timely, fair and transparent...

DMK president M.K. Stalin voiced deep anguish over the demise of postgraduate scholar Fathima Lateef at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, calling for an urgent, comprehensive, and transparent investigation by the Central Crime Branch. Stalin emphasized that law enforcement agencies must ensure an uncompromised probe that rigorously examines the serious allegations documented by the deceased student regarding systemic harassment and institutional discrimination.

Stalin expressed alarm over growing ideological intolerance and institutional discrimination within premier centrally funded academic bodies. He asserted that educational environments must remain welcoming spaces where students of all backgrounds thrive without facing bias or persecution from faculty members. Allowing premier universities to succumb to ideological polarization threatens the fundamental constitutional values of pluralism, meritocracy, and social justice.

The DMK leader warned that public confidence in state investigative agencies can only be restored through swift, impartial legal proceedings. Stalin demanded that authorities hold named faculty members strictly accountable under relevant statutory provisions without extending institutional protection. He affirmed that the DMK will relentlessly demand complete accountability and transparent justice for the bereaved family until institutional discrimination is thoroughly eliminated.