Raudha Athif

Raudha Athif (18 May 1996 – 29 March 2017) was a Maldivian

Biography Athif was educated at Hiriya School and Villa International High School in the Maldives. After her graduation she received a scholarship from the Maldivian Department of Higher Education, and subsequently moved to Rajshahi in Bangladesh, to study medicine at Islami Bank Medical College.

At the age of 14, she participated in an environmental awareness campaign broadcast on Maldivian National Television. She gained wider public attention following a photoshoot in 2014 with Maldivian photographer Sotti and artist Alexey Vladimir, In October 2016, she was featured on the cover of Vogue India. An autopsy conducted by three doctors concluded that her death was a suicide by hanging. The case was investigated by the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, with assistance from a team from the Maldives Police Service.

Athif’s father, Mohamed Athif, also a medical doctor, disputed the conclusion that her death was a suicide. Her family alleged that she had been killed, suggesting she was possibly targeted by an Islamic extremist for "refusing to wear Islamic clothing". On 24 April 2017, her body was exhumed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which carried out a second autopsy. The CID later stated that its investigation also concluded that Athif had died by suicide.

The case was subsequently investigated by the Australian television programme 60 Minutes, in which multiple criminal experts suggested the possibility of foul play. The journalists involved later reported that they were instructed to stop filming and leave the country.