Kerala High Court Denies Anticipatory Bail to Professor in Student Suicide Case

The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Dr. M.K. Ram, a professor at Kannur Medical College in Anjarakandy, in connection with the death of first-year BDS student Nithin Raj. The student died by suicide on the college campus in April, when Dr. Ram was head of the Dental Anatomy department.

Dr. Ram had challenged the order of the Special Judge under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, in Thalassery, which had earlier denied him anticipatory bail. He faces charges of abetting the student's suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Act.

In his plea, Dr. Ram argued that the allegations of instigation were baseless and there was no prima facie evidence that he intimidated or humiliated the student in public. He submitted that the student had borrowed ₹15,000 through a loan app and failed to repay it, and that harassment by the loan operators led to his suicide. He also claimed he had been subjected to a media trial based on conjectures and requested the court not to be influenced by it.

The court responded that decisions would be based solely on records and evidence, and that freedom of the press is a constitutional right. The student's father opposed Dr. Ram's contentions, accusing him of regularly bullying the student. He said undue emphasis was placed on the loan-app narrative to divert attention from alleged humiliation, intimidation, and caste-based remarks.

During the hearing, Justice A. Badharudeen examined statements of classmates recorded by the police regarding Dr. Ram's conduct as a professor. Since the student had secured admission under the SC/ST quota, the court held it could be presumed the accused knew his caste status, and that offences under the SC/ST Act could be made out. The court observed that alleged harassment compelled the student to say he would discontinue studies, that he was called to the principal's room, and later died by suicide. Therefore, the accused cannot be presumed innocent at this stage.

The court also expressed concern over teachers insulting students and pressuring them over internal marks, and suggested the need for an independent grievance forum.