The Kerala High Court has ordered senior police officers to appear in person after raising concerns that law enforcement officials may have deliberately assisted in the release of a dental college department head accused in a student suicide case.
Justice A. Badharudeen directed both the investigating officer, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and the supervising Crime Branch Superintendent of Police to present themselves before the court at 10:45 a.m. on July 24, 2026. The investigating officer was instructed to submit legible copies of all documentation presented during the lower court proceedings, along with an affidavit verifying compliance with pre-arrest statutory procedures. Additionally, the High Court ordered the Special Judge of the lower court to forward all arrest records and a copy of the discharge order, noting that the victim’s family was not given an opportunity to be heard prior to the release decision.
Suspicion of Procedural Sabotage
The directives follow the immediate release of Dr. M. K. Ram by a special court operating under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act shortly after his arrest on Monday. The lower court ordered his discharge on the grounds that police failed to inform the accused of his written grounds of arrest upon production in court.
Expressing strong skepticism, Justice Badharudeen stated that an officer holding the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police would routinely be aware of the requirement to provide arrest grounds, creating a prima facie suspicion that senior police personnel acted to protect the accused from custody. The court noted that these concerns were further supported by the state government’s decision to dismantle the original investigative team and assemble a new Special Investigation Team. State representatives informed the court that a formal inquiry into the matter will be conducted.
Origins of the Case
Dr. Ram, who serves as a department head at a private dental college in Anjarakandy, Kannur, is the primary accused in connection with the death of Nithin Raj, a Scheduled Caste student at the institution. Raj died on April 10, 2026, after falling from a college building in a suspected suicide. Investigation findings revealed that the student was subjected to classroom intimidation and verbal insults by Ram prior to his death.
Ram had been evading law enforcement in Karnataka after both the High Court and the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail applications. He was taken into custody in Karnataka before his formal arrest was recorded on Monday, only to be released the same day following the procedural omission during his court appearance.
