Supreme Court Denies Anticipatory Bail to Doctor Accused in Dental Student Nithin Raj's Death

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has denied anticipatory bail to Dr. M K Ram, the first accused in the case related to the death of Kannur dental college student Nithin Raj.

Dr. Ram had approached the Supreme Court after both the Thalassery Sessions Court and the Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

While dismissing the petition, the Supreme Court observed that Nithin had been humiliated inside the classroom. The bench remarked that the conduct was "inhuman" and held that the student had been subjected to mental harassment by a teacher.

A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta rejected the bail plea.

The court also dismissed Dr. Ram's contention that he had not subjected Nithin to caste-based abuse. It observed that witness statements constituted evidence that the student had been publicly humiliated.

Nithin Raj died by suicide on April 10 after jumping from the college building. Following his death, the Chakkarakkal Police registered a case against the faculty members under charges of abetment to suicide and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The investigation found that Nithin Raj had been subjected to repeated humiliation. According to the case, from March 13 onward, Dr. Ram and the second accused, Dr. K. T. Sangeetha Nambiar, Associate Professor in the Department of Oral Pathology, allegedly insulted and mistreated the student on multiple occasions.

Investigators also found Dr. Ram's presence in the staff room and the principal's office between 12.30 pm and 2 pm on the day of the incident to be suspicious. CCTV footage showing his movements, along with audio recordings and WhatsApp messages sent by Nithin Raj to his sister, have been submitted as evidence in the case.