MP Proposes Parliamentary Inquiry Into Young Woman’s Fall Amid Protests and Claims of Police Bias

Male’ — MP Ahmed Azaan has proposed an inquiry by the Security Services (241) Committee of the Majlis into the troubling fall of a 21-year-old woman from the ninth floor of a building in Henveiru ward, Male’, an incident that has sparked protests, allegations of police misconduct, and demands for transparency. Found critically injured on the roof of an adjacent warehouse in the wee hours of last Friday, the woman remains in intensive care, as public anger grows over the police’s handling of the investigation.

Hithadoo Central MP Ahmed Azaan moved the committee to investigate, citing discrepancies in the police’s approach compared to similar cases. In a letter to Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdullah, Azaan highlighted the selective disclosure of the woman’s identity while others involved remain unnamed, raising questions about impartiality. The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has backed calls for an independent probe, pointing to the lack of forensic analysis despite allegations of sexual assault, which police say lack evidence.

Last night, scores of young people rallied outside the Henveir police station, holding signs demanding justice and equal treatment. “No cover-ups, just truth,” read one placard. The protest, amplified by social media speculation about rape or foul play, reflected frustration with the police’s closed-door press conference, where the woman’s name was revealed but others’ were withheld. “Why is she exposed while others are shielded?” asked Aishath Zara, a 23-year-old protester. “This smells like a double standard.”

Police Inspector Mohammed Samih, speaking at the press conference, shared details from CCTV footage. At around 4 a.m., the woman, visibly drunk, entered a building on Burzu Magu with a 21-year-old man, also intoxicated. Unfamiliar with the residence, they engaged in sexual activity on the stairs. The woman, wearing the man’s T-shirt, climbed to the eighth and ninth floors, seemingly searching for him. At 4:52 a.m., a loud noise—later identified as her fall from a fanlight—echoed through the building. The man, half naked on the stairs, was heard crying and seeking help but left without notifying police.

“No evidence suggests foul play,” Samih said, noting the locked ninth-floor terrace lacked cameras. Found at 7:23 a.m., the woman was moving but unable to respond due to severe injuries and was rushed to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). She is off the ventilator but remains in critical condition, with injury details undisclosed.

For 2 hours and 31 minutes after the woman’s fall at 4:52 a.m., she lay injured on the warehouse roof, unable to move, until her discovery at 7:23 a.m., prompting public outrage over the lack of immediate response. No one in the building or nearby reported the incident, despite the man’s cries for help, raising questions about accountability. Many are also baffled by how an intoxicated woman could pass through a small fanlight, a narrow opening typically designed for ventilation. “How does someone, clearly drunk, fit through something so tiny?” asked Fathimath Niyaz, a Henveiru resident, echoing widespread skepticism about the police’s explanation and fueling demands for a thorough investigation.

The investigation has faced significant scrutiny for apparent inconsistencies. The man last seen with the woman tested positive for drugs but received only a travel ban, while others involved were neither tested nor named, prompting concerns about unequal treatment. Although police reported sexual activity prior to the fall, no forensic analysis, such as semen sampling or vaginal fluid testing, was conducted, despite public calls for thorough evidence collection to address allegations of sexual assault.

MDP Meekail Ahmed Naseem has moved to summon Home Minister Ali Ihsan and Social and Family Development Minister Aishath Shihaam to address the lack of forensic tests and inconsistent identity disclosures.

Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen, whose nephews were questioned, faced accusations of obstructing the probe. In a tweet, Ameen denied involvement, saying the incident occurred in a building he co-owns with siblings, not his apartment, and that he learned of it only that evening. “I’ve made no calls to influence this case,” he wrote, calling social media claims “baseless.”

The MDP criticized the police for revealing the woman’s identity while withholding others, calling it “an obstacle to justice.” The party also urged stronger anti-drug measures, noting rampant drug use in the Maldives. Azaan’s proposal emphasizes that police must act without influence, especially in cases involving young people.

The incident in Henveiru has also reignited debates about Thursday night rave parties in Male’, which some on social media allege are linked to drug use and reckless behavior, drawing parallels to the woman’s fall.