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.
The accused, MK Ram, a faculty member at the college, was taken into custody from a hideout in Kodagu, Karnataka, after remaining on the run for several months. He was apprehended late on Sunday and brought to Kannur on Monday for interrogation.
Ram's anticipatory bail plea had been rejected by the Supreme Court on July 13, following an earlier rejection by the Kerala High Court on June 19. After the High Court's order, investigators attempted to arrest him in Andhra Pradesh, but he allegedly evaded capture before approaching the apex court.
A special team led by inspector Sreejith Koderi intensified the search after the Supreme Court’s decision. Officials said the accused avoided using mobile phones and frequently changed locations across states before being tracked down in Kodagu.
Reacting to the arrest, Nithinraj’s father, Y Rajan, welcomed the development but said justice would be complete only when all those responsible are brought to book. “We will get justice only when every accused is arrested and punished,” he told reporters.
Nithinraj, a resident of Aryanad in Thiruvananthapuram district, died on April 10 after allegedly jumping from a building at the medical college. His family has accused faculty members of subjecting him to sustained harassment over caste and appearance, allegations that were echoed by fellow students.
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. The college management later dismissed Dr Ram following student protests.
The probe is currently being handled by a special Crime Branch team under the supervision of SP K V Venugopal. While DSP Sudheer Kallan is investigating the circumstances leading to the student’s death, DSP Jeevan George is examining allegations related to harassment by online loan recovery agents.
Investigators said Nithinraj had taken loans through an app to fund his education and his mother’s medical treatment. When repayments were delayed, recovery agents allegedly threatened him and contacted his acquaintances, adding to his mental distress.
The case, initially investigated by local police, was later transferred to a special investigation team and subsequently handed over to the Crime Branch following objections raised by the family.
Officials said custodial interrogation of the arrested accused is expected to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
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