Nithin Raj suicide: Kerala court denies anticipatory bail to Dr MK Ram, grants relief to co-accused Dr Sangeetha Nambiar

A trial court in Kerala's Kannur district on Saturday reportedly denied anticipatory bail to Dr MK Ram, a faculty member of the Kannur Dental College who is accused of having subjected first-year dental student Nithin Raj to caste-based harassment, leading to his death by suicide.

The Court, however, granted anticipatory bail to a co-accused teacher, Dr. Sangeetha Nambiar, according to a report by Manorama.

The order was passed by Thalassery Additional Sessions Judge J Vimal.

The case concerns Nithin Raj, who died on April 10, reportedly after jumping from a building near his college. According to reports, the first year dental student was subjected to caste-based harassment by two of his teachers at the college, prompting him to take his own life.

The police booked Dr Ram, the Head of the Dental Anatomy Department and an associate professor of the same department, Dr Nambiar in the criminal case registered over the student's death.

The two faculty members have been accused of committing the offences under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3(1)(r) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (SC/ST Act).

Amid massive public outrage, protests and calls for action, the two teachers moved the Thalassery Sessions Court seeking anticipatory bail.

Dr Ram denied any role in the student's death, contending that there was no casteist harassment or criminal intent on his part.

He submitted that the student was academically weak and had been advised to improve, after which there was no interaction with the student further.

The sessions court, however, was not inclined to grant pre-arrest bail and dismissed his plea.

At the same time, it allowed the anticipatory bail plea filed by co-accused Dr Nambiar, subject to certain conditions.