KANNUR: The Crime Branch has arrested M K Ram, former Head of the Department of Oral Pathology at Anjarakandy Dental College, in connection with the death of student Nithin Raj. The arrest was made by the Crime Branch investigation team led by SP K V Venugopal in Karnataka. After the arrest, Ram was brought to Kannur, where his statement will be recorded before he is produced before the Thalassery court.
The Crime Branch intensified its investigation after the Supreme Court rejected Ram's anticipatory bail plea. Both the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court had earlier denied him anticipatory bail in the case.
Nithin Raj R L, a native of Puthukulangara in Thiruvananthapuram, died by suicide on April 10 after jumping from a building at the private dental college in Anjarakandy, Kannur.
The incident sparked widespread political attention and protests by various political parties and social organisations. Nithin Raj's parents alleged that he had been subjected to caste-based discrimination, colour-based insults, and ragging by senior students, which they claimed drove him to take the extreme step.
During the protests, several students alleged that Ram's conduct in the classroom was often intimidating and humiliating. They claimed he frequently body-shamed students.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Direct Intervention System for Health Awareness (DISHA)-1056)
