Supreme Court Denies Anticipatory Bail to Professor in Student Suicide Case
The Supreme Court of India has refused to grant anticipatory bail to Dr. M Kodanda Ram, a professor at Kannur Dental College, who is accused of verbally harassing a Dalit student, Nithin Raj, leading to his suicide. In the case of Dr. M Kodanda Ram v State of Kerala & Ors, the bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta described Dr. Ram’s actions as ‘inhuman’ and emphasized that he must face the repercussions of his conduct.
Nithin Raj, a dental student, tragically took his own life on April 10 by jumping from a building near his college. Allegations surfaced that he had been subjected to caste-based harassment by faculty members, with Dr. Ram, the head of the department, being the primary accused. Following the incident, Dr. Ram and two other staff members were charged with abetment of suicide and violations under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (SC/ST Act), after a complaint was lodged by Raj’s father.
Initially, Dr. Ram sought anticipatory bail from a sessions court, which was granted to another accused faculty member, Dr. Sangeetha Nambiar, on April 25, but denied to him. Subsequently, Dr. Ram’s appeal to the High Court was also rejected on June 19, prompting him to approach the Supreme Court.
Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing Dr. Ram, highlighted a one-month gap between the alleged incident and the student’s suicide, arguing that other factors, such as a loan-related reprimand shortly before Raj’s death, could have influenced his decision. Naidu contended that the SC/ST Act should not apply, as no caste-related remarks were made at the time of the student’s suicide.
However, the Supreme Court bench maintained that the timing of the events was critical, suggesting that the harassment could have served as a tipping point. “He has to realise the consequences of his actions. If a student is insulted in this way in the classroom, what will be the impact?” the Court questioned, emphasizing the need for accountability among educators.
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Despite the defense’s argument that Dr. Ram had learned his lesson, the bench was firm in its decision, refusing to interfere with the High Court’s order and dismissing the appeal.
