The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed the pre-arrest bail plea of Kodanda Ram, head of the Department of Dental Anatomy at Anjarakandy Dental College in Kannur, in connection with the suicide of first-year BDS student Nithin Raj.
Court Observations on Teacher's Conduct
Referring to statements from Nithin Raj's classmates, the High Court noted that Ram had insulted and intimidated the student with the intention of humiliating him publicly. The court observed that such behavior, which is not expected from a teacher who should uphold moral values and discipline, was prima facie sufficient to provoke, incite, or instigate Nithin Raj to commit suicide.
Incident Details
Nithin Raj died on April 10 after sustaining severe injuries from a fall off a college building. Following the incident, the police registered a case based on a complaint filed by his family alleging that Ram and other faculty members subjected him to caste-based discrimination and harassment, driving him to suicide. In contrast, Ram argued that the student's death was linked to pressure from individuals from whom he had borrowed money through a mobile app.
Specific Allegations
While examining the statements of classmates, the High Court referred to an incident where Ram allegedly singled out Nithin Raj by calling him the 'worst dog' among the students. He also allegedly called him 'stupid' and 'idiot' and, after obtaining his answer paper, had it read aloud line by line in class, describing the answers as rubbish. The court observed that these acts were allegedly intended to insult, intimidate, and humiliate Nithin Raj in front of other students. Witness statements indicated that the harassment led Nithin Raj to express a desire to discontinue the course and leave the college.
Legal Findings
The High Court held that it could not safely conclude at this stage that Ram was prima facie innocent. It found no infirmity in the special court's earlier observation that a prima facie offense under Section 3(1)(r) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was made out, noting that Ram was fully aware that Nithin Raj had secured admission under the SC/ST category.
