SC denies anticipatory bail to professor in medical student suicide case

NEW DELHI: A teacher can't walk away with this kind of behaviour, the Supreme Court said on Monday while denying anticipatory bail to a professor who is accused of abetting the alleged suicide of a first-year BDS student of a private dental college in Kerala.

The student, Nithin Raj , was found dead on April 10 after falling from a building on the college campus in a suspected suicide . Prosecution has alleged that the victim, a member of the Scheduled Caste community, was insulted and intimidated by accused M Kondanda Ram in the classroom. Ram has denied the allegations .

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Teachers cannot insult students: Supreme Court

"A message has to go that you (teacher) can't behave in this way with the students," an apex court bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the counsel appearing for the petitioner. The top court passed the order on a plea by Ram, who challenged a June 2026 order of the Kerala High Court denying him anticipatory bail.

While refusing to interfere with the high court's order, the top court said one has to realise the consequences of his or her actions for the students.

"If a student is insulted in the classroom in the presence of co-students in such a way, what would be the ultimate impact on such students," the bench observed. "A teacher can't walk away with this kind of behaviour," the top court said while dismissing the plea.