A probe body of the Rajshahi Islami Bank Medical College has found that its Maldivian student Raudha Athif “committed suicide”.
“Around three weeks before taking her own life, Raudha had jokingly texted one of her friends saying that she would commit suicide,” said Prof MA Mukit Sarker, vice principal of the college and also the head of the five-member probe committee.
The committee submitted its report to the college principal yesterday (11 April) afternoon, he added.
The 21-year-old student, also a model, was found dead in her dormitory room on March 29. On the same day, the college authorities formed the probe committee and filed an unnatural death case with Shah Makhdum Police Station.
Raudha’s autopsy also ruled that she “committed suicide”.
The probe body received and examined written statements from 19 people, including students, staff and officials of the dormitory.
Sanjeev Bista, one of Raudha’s classmates, in her statement said her friend sent her a text message on March 9, stating that she would commit suicide ahead of the exam and later she said she was only joking.
“When I heard about her suicide, I thought it was a joke. Because I thought that a girl like her could not commit suicide,” Sanjeev wrote.
According to the report, Raudha, the lone resident of the room, closed the latch on her door vertically. The latch slipped down and the door opened as some students and staff banged on it after her death.
Students shouted for saving Raudha as they thought she was still alive. Insha Chisti, a 3rd-year student, got her down on the bed, added the report.
Insha in her statement said she tried to open the knot of Raudha’s scarf which was tied to the ceiling fan. “Someone gave me a knife. I cut her scarf and got her down on the bed thinking her to be alive.”
Prof Mukit said they would send copies of the probe report to law enforcers, Rajshahi deputy commissioner and health and education ministries.
The four other members of the probe committee are Prof M Emdadur Rahman, also a member of the autopsy team, Prof M Obaidullah, Prof M Mamunur Rashid and Dr Laila Akter, in-charge of the women’s dormitory.
Raudha’s father Mohamed Athif on Monday filed a murder case with a Rajshahi court against a student. Directed by the court, Shah Makhdum Police Station recorded the case yesterday.
In a tweet on Monday, Athif alleged that the local police and the college authorities were trying to frame her “daughter’s murder as a suicide”.
