Kerala CM calls Kannur student death ‘unacceptable’; probe ordered amid harassment allegations

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday termed as "painful and unacceptable" the recent alleged suicide of a first-year BDS student at Ancharakandi Private Medical College in Kannur, saying that such incidents should not happen in a progressive state like Kerala.

The CM, in a Facebook post, said that it was unforgivable to push a brilliant student to his death. He also said that the entire state stood with the victim's family. Nithin Raj R L (22), a first-year BDS student from Puthukulangara in Thiruvananthapuram district, was found critically injured near the medical college block after falling from a building on April 10 and later succumbed to his injuries.

His family alleged that Raj was subjected to emotional harassment on caste and complexion grounds by two faculty members, following which a case was registered against Dental Anatomy Department Head Dr M K Ram and Associate Professor K T Sangeetha Nambiar for abetment of suicide and under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Besides that, police also registered a case against unidentified loan app operators in connection with Raj's death, as he had taken a loan through an online loan app.

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After he defaulted on repayment, the app operators allegedly began contacting the assistant professor. The FIR stated that the accused contacted the woman faculty member via MMS and WhatsApp, threatening her over repayment and attempting to siphon off money illegally.

His family, however, claimed that Raj was murdered and held the college faculty responsible for his death. His sister, on Tuesday, told reporters that defaulting on the loan payment was not the reason behind her brother's death. "Something else happened there. We will not allow his death to be restricted to a loan default issue. If my brother does not get justice, none of us will live any longer," she claimed tearfully and accused Dr Ram of being responsible for her brother's death.

Mohanan Kunnummal, Vice Chancellor of Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS), said there will be a comprehensive investigation into the incident and the background of the medical college. "Strong action will be taken by KUHS in the matter. We will also consider whether such colleges should continue operating," he said. He said that he will inform the Governor, who is the Chancellor of universities in the state, about his findings and the proposed action.

Meanwhile, activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), affiliated to the CPI(M), held a protest march to the clinic of Dr Ram in Kannur.