The Kerala High Court has proposed the establishment of a committee to investigate and develop strategies to address the alleged harassment faced by students at medical colleges. This suggestion arose during the hearing of an anticipatory bail application by Dr. M Kodanda Ram, a professor at Kannur Dental College accused of verbally harassing a Dalit student who later died by suicide. The court case is cited as Dr M Kodanda Ram v State of Kerala & ors.
Presiding over the matter, Justice A Badharudeen expressed grave concerns about the systemic harassment of students in medical institutions across Kerala. He emphasized the severity of the issue, stating, “In Kerala, medical colleges are ruining students. No doubt about it. They are very cruelly treating students, even PG students. Many complaints. It is a very, very serious matter.”
Justice Advocates for In-Depth Investigation
Justice Badharudeen highlighted the reluctance of students to report grievances against faculty and college authorities due to fear of repercussions. He suggested that a deeper investigation is crucial and proposed that the state should establish a commission to examine and remedy these concerns. “No student is ready to quarrel with the teachers and the college authorities. They are suffering. I think a committee is to be constituted, a secret report to be obtained on what is happening and what are the remedial measures,” he remarked.
He also noted the cultural perpetuation of harassment, referring to it as the “Ammaayiamma syndrome,” where patterns of abuse are repeated across generations. He explained, “What is happening in medical colleges, according to me, it is ‘Ammaayiamma syndrome’ (Mother-in-law syndrome). ‘When I was a daughter-in-law, my mother-in-law harassed me, so I will harass when I become a mother-in-law.’ Similarly, in medical colleges, the attitude is ‘since my senior professors harassed me, when I become a professor, I will also harass.’ This is a very, very dangerous and pitiful situation as far as a State like Kerala is concerned.”
Case Background and Legal Proceedings
The case stems from the tragic suicide of Nithin Raj, a dental college student, who died on April 10 after allegedly facing caste-based harassment by faculty members. Dr. Ram, along with two other staff members, has been charged with abetment of suicide and violations under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, following a complaint by Raj’s father.
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Dr. Ram’s initial request for anticipatory bail was denied by the sessions court, leading him to seek relief from the High Court. The State’s Public Prosecutor presented evidence suggesting improper conduct by Dr. Ram and alleged that he encouraged other faculty members to harass the deceased student. Conversely, Dr. Ram’s legal team argued that the suicide was unrelated to any harassment from the college, citing CCTV footage and documentation of financial pressures as contributing factors.
The High Court is scheduled to continue hearing the case on June 8. Dr. Ram’s legal representation includes advocates S Rajeev, V Vinay, MS Aneer, Anilkumar CR, Sarath KP, Dipa V, KS Kiran Krishnan, Akash Cherian Thomas, Azad Sunil, TP Aravind, Maheswar Padickal, Akshara S, and Nivedita Rajeev.
