Dr. Mohamed Habeeb, a leading orthopedic and trauma surgeon, has resigned from the presidential commission set up a day back to conduct an inquiry into the case of a young woman found injured on the rooftop of a building in Male’.
21-year-old Mariyam Yumnu was found injured on the rooftop of a warehouse in the Henveiru district at around 07:30 am on April 18. According to the police, their investigation uncovered that she fell from a skylight on the ninth-floor stairwell of the adjacent building, H. Fentenoy, but that there was no evidence of foul play.
But before her fall, she had been part of a group of at least nine individuals who were at Ma. Maandhooge Dhekunuge for a party, where they are believed to have possibly consumed drugs and alcohol. There are also allegations that she may have been sexually assaulted prior to her fall.
There soon emerged allegations of a police coverup after it became known that the individuals involved have family links to influential figures, including an incumbent cabinet minister and a diplomat, sparking serial protests in the capital, Male’ City.
On early Sunday, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu established a three-member presidential commission to conduct an independent inquiry into the case, composed of Habeeb, Brigadier General (Retired) Ahmed Mohamed, and Dr. Mohamed Munavvar, the latter of whom was put in charge of the inquiry.
Combined file photos of (from L-R) Brigadier General (Retired) Ahmed Mohamed, Dr. Mohamed Habeeb, and Dr. Mohamed Munavvar.
Habeeb tendered his resignation from the commission on Monday – just a day after the commission’s inception.
Sun has been informed that Habeeb had initially accepted President Muizzu’s invitation to become a member of the commission, but later informed the President’s Office that he is unable to undertake the duties as a member of the commission.
Habeeb declined to comment on his decision when Sun reached out to him.
“Can you not speak about this with me?” he requested.
Sun has been informed that Habeeb, a native of Addu City’s Hithadhoo district, is third cousins with the mother of the prime person of interest in the case – Raudh Ahmed Zilal, who had been with Yumnu moments before her fall.
Raudh Ahmed Zilal, 21, G. Eriyadhoo, K. Male'. (Photo/Maldives Police Service)
Habeeb had previously been part of two other presidential inquiry commissions throughout the years.
The case of Yumnu, who spent nearly three hours on the rooftop of a warehouse before a neighbor saw her and alerted the authorities, has sparked serial protests in Male’.
The protestors, a vast majority of them young men and women, have been demanding justice for her, and the resignation of top government and police officials over the alleged coverup.
The police had initially refused to name anyone else except for Yumnu. It wasn’t until six days later – on April 24 – that the police finally named eight people who had been with Yumnu in the party as persons of interest. Raudh Ahmed Zilal, 21; Izdhiyaan Mohamed Maumoon, 28; Aishath Layaaly Iqbal, 22; Yoosuf Ahmed Akram, 22; Yoosuf Yassar Abdul Ghafoor, 28; Aminath Junaina Jamsheed, 24; Hussain Hamees Ali, 28; and Ijaz Jaiz, 24.
The eight people who were with Mariyam Yumnu before she fell from a building in Male' on April 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, the house where the group held the party was confirmed as the family residence of Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen, who admitted that two of his nephews – Izdhiyaan and Yoosuf Ahmed Akram - were among the group of individuals involved, but denied he knew anything about what he described as the “gathering.”
The same day, the police arrested Raudh, who had been with Yumnu in the last moments before her fall, for lack of cooperation. They also filed for court warrants to search the other two residences that Yumnu had been in before she went to Fentenoy – Ma. Maandhooge Dhekunu and G. Kashiveli.
The police have said that both Yumnu and Raudh were heavily intoxicated at the time, and had both tested positive for narcotics. Clips of CCTV footage shared by police show Yumnu appeared to have trouble walking, and even fell down on the ground at one point.
The court order issued on April 25 for Raudh’s remand extension by five days shows investigators believe Yumnu and Raudh had argued before she fell – something the police hadn’t mentioned in two press briefings held in the wake of the incident.
It also says that when questioned shortly after Yumnu’s fall, Raudh had responded with “I don’t know where she is” and “I think she fell.”
Youths protest for a third straight night demanding justice for Mariyam Yumnu on April 25, 2025. (Sun Photo/Hussain Hafiz)
The then-Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Shujau bowed under pressure and tendered his resignation on Saturday night, following four straight nights of protest, and was replaced with Ismail Naveen as acting CP.
A couple of hours later, President Muizzu appointed presidential commission to conduct an independent inquiry into the case. However, the decision to appoint an all-male commission to review such a sensitive case involving a young female victim sparked controversy.
Speaking to reporters before boarding a plan to Malaysia on Sunday, President Muizzu said that the commission will not face any obstacles in conducting an independent inquiry and uncovering the truth.
“They will not face any form of obstacle from anywhere to uncover the truth or look into what needs to be looked into. No such obstacles can even be put before them. There’s no one they cannot question. There’s no door they cannot knock. They have also been empowered to seek foreign expertise if they need to,” he said.
Youths protest for a third straight night demanding justice for Mariyam Yumnu on April 25, 2025. (Sun Photo/Hussain Hafiz)
President Muizzu said he wishes for the investigation to be conducted in a transparent and responsible manner. He provided assurance that the rule of law will be applied to all without discrimination. 
“All the questions must be answered. Everything must be made clear,” he said.
But the assurances have failed to satisfy protestors, who demonstrated outside the Sergeant Adam Haleem Building in the Henveiru district of Male’ for a fifth straight night amid pouring rain on Sunday, as they continue to demand the resignation of Transport Minister Ameen, and Home Minister Ali Ihusan.
Yumnu, who sustained serious injuries in the fall including multiple fractures, was flown to a hospital in Malaysia on Saturday. The family received USD 25,000 (MVR 385,500) from the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA), and the rest of the money needed for her medical treatment was raised through a fundraiser.