Sister Demands Justice After 21-Year-Old Fell From the Ninth Floor in Malé

The 21-year-old woman who fell from the ninth floor of a building in Malé onto a warehouse roof on April 18 questioned whether she would ever receive justice for being left for dead, said her sister while speaking at the Front Office Jalsa, hosted by Channel 13 on Thursday evening.

She said that since her sister regained consciousness, she has assured the family that she did not jump off the building.

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“She has asked whether she will receive justice. That this is not something she did, this was something done to her,” her sister said, speaking on Channel 13.

She stated that she had previously visited Henveiru Fentoniya and returned there in the early hours of April 18 at the invitation of Yoosuf Yassar Abdulgafoor, who had also attended the party they were at before heading to Fentoniya.

The Maldives Police Service had earlier claimed that Fentoniya was not connected to either the woman who fell or to Raudh Ahmed Zilal, 21, who was with her in the house. According to the police, the pair entered the house simply because it was unlocked.

Contradicting the police account, the woman also said that, in addition to her sister and Raudh, four others were present in the building. Police had previously stated that only the two of them were in the house.

The victim’s sister, who spoke to the media, questioned why such intimate details of the investigation were made public before officials had even taken a statement from the victim. In response, police said yesterday that they had been trying to obtain her statement since the incident occurred. However, due to her medical condition, it had not been possible until now. They added that they would proceed as soon as her health permits.

“This investigation is currently in progress; we are currently in the process of interrogating the necessary individuals in the case and confirming the information they provide,” said the police.

Other things her family raised as concerns:

• Tampering with the video footage from Henveiru Fentoniya
• Not showing the victim’s phone to the family, thereby not giving them a chance to confirm whether it is her phone
• Raises a lack of questioning of the family by the police and the Presidential Commission to investigate the April 18 fall incident

She said they were not trying to make it into a political issue or denying the events that had happened. However, they wanted justice for their sister, who was left for dead.

“Where do we have to go to get justice for her?” she asked.

She also thanked the public for raising awareness about the issue and for offering their support.

“We will never forget the aid the Maldivian citizens provided for us, for our younger sister. It was the Maldivian citizens who helped us, not the government,” she said.

The Context

On April 18, 2025, a 21-year-old woman was found on the roof of a warehouse in Henveiru, Male’. The police later revealed she fell from the ninth floor of Fentoniya around 4:30 a.m. that morning. She was reported to the police around 7:30 a.m. that morning, after which she had been receiving medical care in Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), until she was sent to Malaysia on April 26 for additional medical treatment.

Public trust in the police has declined in relation to this case, amid accusations of interference in the investigation. Many believe that those involved are the children of individuals in high-ranking positions, and that influence may have been used to obscure the case. 

Raudh, the man the woman had spent her last moments with prior to her fall, was arrested on April 24. He was initially set to be kept under state custody for five days, which was later extended by an additional ten days on April 30.

Raudh is the younger brother of Daudh Ahmed Zilal, the Under Secretary for Digital Strategy at the President’s Office. Daudh was suspended from his position without pay on Thursday, April 25. 

The passports of seven others connected to this case have been seized. They are barred from leaving the country. Yoosuf Yassar Abdulgafoor is amongst the seven.

The youth has been leading serial protests calling for a fair and transparent investigation into this case since Wednesday, April 24. 

Additionally, a local influencer, Shehenaz Moosa, raised over MVR 700,000 to cover her medical expenses. The youth have been holding serial protests, calling for a fair investigation into this case. Commissioner of the Police Ali Shujau resigned from his post following public pressure. The protesters have also called for the resignation of the Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusan, and the Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Ameen. 

The parliament submitted a notice of no-confidence to Minister Ameen over the previous weekend.