Maldives seeks findings of probe into Raudha’s death

The Maldives sought information from Bangladesh on the findings of the investigation into the death of Maldivian model and medical student Raudha Athif.

Raudha, a second-year student of Islami Bank Medical College, was found dead in her room at the women's dormitory of the college in Nawdapara area of Rajshahi city on March 29 in 2017.

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), which is investigating the case, received a letter from Embassy of the Republic of Maldives in Dhaka today seeking reports of her body’s post mortem, viscera and findings of the investigation, said PBI’s chief and Deputy Inspector General of Police Banaj Kumar Majumder.

“We asked our Rajshahi office to send the information urgently,” he told our Rajshahi staff correspondent.

He said they received the letter through the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Home and the Interpol desk of police headquarters.

Additional SP Abul Kalam Azad of Rajshahi PBI said, they received the letter and they were preparing for sending the information.

He said they have completed the investigation and they are about to submit a final report with a Rajshahi court explaining that Raudha Athif committed suicide.

Raudha Athif, 20, was featured as Maldivian model in a Vogue magazine cover in 2016. On March 29, 2017, she was found dead at her college dormitory room.

So far, Shah Makhdum Police Station of Rajshahi, Detective Branch of police and Criminal Investigation Department have investigated the death and came up with reports of suicide.

Her body underwent autopsy twice, once after exhumation from the grave. Maldivian police also had stayed in Rajshahi for a week into the death for investigation.

Raudha's father Mohamed Athif, a physician and now a politician in Maldives, rejected all local and Maldivian police findings which led to suicide and claimed that she was murdered. Following his appeal, a Rajshahi court in December 2017 had asked PBI to investigate into the case.

Currently PBI Sub-Inspector (Si) Saidur Rahman is the investigation officer of the case. He said, Raudha’s boyfriend, relative of an influential Maldivian politician, cheated on her, which left her devastated, and she eventually took her own life.