Kerala dental student Nithin Raj death: Court grants Crime Branch five-day custody of accused M.K. Ram

Thalassery Main Sessions Court, Kannur, on Monday, July 27, 2026, Crime Branch special investigation team (SIT) informed the accused Dr. MK gave custody of Ram for five days.

Judge M. Manoj accepted the custody request and then the SIT investigating the case, Dr. He detained Ram from Kannur Special Sub Jail around 11.30 am for evidence collection and further interrogation.

A native of Andhra Pradesh and a former HoD at Kannur dental college, Dr. Ram is the main accused in the case.

The student’s family, Dr. Ram and faculty member Dr. Sangeeta had alleged that Nambiar’s prolonged mental harassment pushed Nithin Raj to take his own life. Based on the complaint, Chakkarakkal police registered a case for both abetment to suicide and offenses under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

After the investigation began, both defendants disappeared. The second defendant is Dr. Sangeeta Nambiar was later released on bail and appeared before the Crime Branch for questioning.

Dr. Ram was arrested by Karnataka’s Kodagu Crime Branch nearly three months after he allegedly absconded. He was later placed under judicial custody at Kannur special sub-jail.

The SIT is expected to use the custody period to collect more evidence and verify the sequence of events linked to the student’s death.