Kerala Crime Branch Arrests Absconding Dental College Professor From Karnataka In Student’s Death Case
Police said the accused avoided using mobile phones and frequently changed locations across different states before he was finally tracked down in Kodagu.
Kannur: The Kerala Crime Branch has arrested the absconding prime accused in the death case of first-year BDS student R L Nithinraj of Anjarakandy Dental College in Kannur district in Kerala.
Dr M K Ram, a faculty member of the college, was taken into custody from a hideout in Kodagu, Karnataka, after being on the run for several months.
The accused was apprehended late on Sunday and brought to Kannur on Monday, where he is being interrogated by the Crime Branch.
Dr Ram’s anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Supreme Court on July 13.
Earlier, the Kerala High Court had also dismissed his bail application on June 19. Following the high court order, the Crime Branch had attempted to arrest him in Andhra Pradesh, but he allegedly managed to evade the police before approaching the apex court.
After the Supreme Court refused him anticipatory bail, a special team led by Crime Branch Inspector Sreejith Koderi intensified the search. Investigators said the accused avoided using mobile phones and frequently changed locations across different states before he was finally tracked down in Kodagu.
Reacting to the arrest, Nithinraj’s father Y Rajan, a daily wager, said the family welcomed the development but maintained that complete justice would be achieved only after all those allegedly responsible were brought to book.
“We will get justice only when every accused in the case is arrested and punished,” Rajan told reporters.
Nithinraj, a resident of Aryanad in Thiruvananthapuram district, died by suicide after jumping from the medical college building on April 10.
His family alleged that the Dalit student had been subjected to sustained harassment by faculty members over his caste and skin colour. Fellow students also alleged that he faced repeated body shaming and mental harassment.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case against Dr Ram and others under charges including abetment of suicide and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Following protests by students, the college management dismissed Dr Ram from service.
The investigation is now being conducted by a special Crime Branch team under the supervision of State Crime Branch SP K V Venugopal.
While Crime Branch DySP Sudheer Kallan is probing the circumstances leading to Nithinraj’s death, DySP Jeevan George is investigating another angle involving alleged harassment by online loan recovery agents.
According to investigators, Nithinraj had borrowed money through a loan app to meet educational expenses and fund his mother’s medical treatment. When he defaulted on repayments, recovery agents allegedly threatened him and contacted his teachers and others, causing severe mental distress.
The case was initially investigated by the local police before being transferred to a special investigation team headed by the City Police Commissioner. Following objections raised by the family over the probe, the investigation was later handed over to the Crime Branch.
Officials said the custodial interrogation of Dr Ram is expected to provide further clarity on the circumstances that led to the student’s death.
Courtesy : ETV Bharat
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