Kerala High Court rejects anticipatory bail plea of professor in BDS student’s death case

The Kerala High Court on Friday ordered Dr Dr in connection with the death of Nithin Raj, a first-year BDS student of Kannur Medical College in Anjarakandy. He rejected MK Ram’s bail application.

Student, Dr. Ram allegedly committed suicide on the university campus in April, when he was head of the Dental Anatomy department.

Dr. Ram had challenged the order of the Special Judge denying him bail under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Oppressors) Act, 1989, Thalassery.

He was accused of abetting the student’s suicide and charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Act.

He argued that the allegations of sedition were baseless and that there was no prima facie evidence that he had intimidated or humiliated the student in public.

In his pre-arrest bail plea, he alleged that the student borrowed ₹15,000 through a loan app and did not repay it, and harassment from operators led to his suicide.

He also said he had been subjected to a media trial based on conjectures and requested that the court not be influenced by it, to which the court replied that decisions would be based only on records and evidence and that freedom of the press is a constitutional right.

The student’s father opposed the discussions and Dr. He accused Ram of regularly bullying the student and said undue emphasis was being placed on the loan app narrative to divert attention from the alleged humiliation, intimidation and caste-based statements.

During the hearing, Judge A. Badharudeen noted that his classmates were Dr. He examined Ram’s statements recorded by the police regarding his conduct as a professor.

Since the student was admitted under SC/ST quota, the court held that it could be assumed that the accused knew his caste status and offenses under the SC/ST Act could be cognized.

The court stated that the alleged harassment student had to say that he would quit his classes, was called to the principal’s office and later died by suicide, so the defendant cannot be considered innocent at this stage.

The court also expressed concern about teachers insulting students, pressuring them over internal grades and seeking an independent complaints forum.