The Supreme Court has refused anticipatory bail to Dr. M. Kodanda Ram, Head of the Department (HoD) of Dental Anatomy at Anjarakandy Dental College, Kannur, who is accused of abetting the suicide of a first-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) student. While dismissing his appeal, the Court observed that teachers must understand the consequences of humiliating students in the classroom and described the allegations against the professor as "inhuman."
A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta dismissed Dr. Ram's appeal challenging the Kerala High Court's June 19, 2026, order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea. The case concerns the death of Nithin Raj, a first-year BDS student belonging to a Scheduled Caste community, who died in April 2026. His family has alleged that he was subjected to repeated public humiliation and caste-based discrimination by faculty members before his death.
Nithin Raj, a first-year BDS student at Anjarakandy Dental College in Kannur, Kerala, died after falling from the college building on April 10, 2026. According to the complaint lodged by his father, the student had allegedly been subjected to repeated humiliation, intimidation, and caste-based discrimination by faculty members, including Dr. M. Kodanda Ram. Nithin Raj, a first-year BDS student at Anjarakandy Dental College in Kannur, Kerala on April 10, 2026, died after falling from the college building.
According to the complaint lodged by his father, the student had allegedly been subjected to repeated humiliation, intimidation, and caste-based discrimination by faculty members, including Dr. M. Kodanda Ram. Based on the complaint, police registered a case against the professor under provisions relating to abetment of suicide, criminal intimidation, intentional insult, and relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The case remains under investigation, and the allegations against the accused have not been adjudicated by a trial court.
Appearing for Dr. Ram, Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu argued that the allegations stemmed from classroom reprimands and did not amount to abetment of suicide. He also submitted that nearly a month had passed between the alleged incidents and the student's death, contending that the required proximity under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (formerly Section 306 IPC) was lacking.
The Supreme Court disagreed, observing that teachers must realise the consequences of humiliating students and cannot "insult students and walk away." Calling the alleged conduct "inhuman," the Bench further remarked that the incidents could have been the "tipping point" leading to the student's death and refused to interfere with the Kerala High Court's order denying pre-arrest bail.
Before approaching the Supreme Court, Dr. Ram had unsuccessfully sought anticipatory bail before the Thalassery Sessions Court and later before the Kerala High Court.
On June 19, 2026, Justice A. Badharudeen dismissed the plea, holding that a prima facie case had been made out under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The High Court also observed that custodial interrogation could not be ruled out at that stage of the investigation, making pre-arrest bail inappropriate.
Before addressing the allegations of harassment, the defence presented an alternate sequence of events.
The defence submitted that Nithin Raj had taken a loan through a mobile lending app and listed a faculty member's phone number as a reference. After the loan allegedly went into default, recovery agents repeatedly contacted the faculty member, who informed the college principal. Raj was then summoned, questioned, and allegedly warned that a police complaint could be filed.
Counsel argued that the student later died by suicide and that allegations of caste-based harassment surfaced only subsequently through the complaint filed by his father.
Opposing the bail application, the prosecution maintained that the allegations of repeated humiliation and caste-based discrimination warranted custodial investigation. The claims will be examined during the trial.
With pre-arrest bail denied, the investigation against Dr. Ram will continue in accordance with law.
Reference:
Kerala High Court. Dr. M. Kodanda Ram v. State of Kerala, 2026:KER:44419, Criminal Appeal No. 609 of 2026, decided June 19, 2026.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)