Allegations of caste-based discrimination have surfaced following the tragic death of a Dalit medical student in the Kannur district of Kerala. Nithin Raj R L, a 22-year-old first-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery student from Uzhamalakkal village in Thiruvananthapuram, died after falling from a building on the campus of Kannur Dental College in Anjarakandy on Friday. He was immediately taken to the medical college hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The police have initiated an investigation, filing a case under BNS section 108 (abetment of suicide) as well as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Two members of the faculty have been identified as suspects in the investigation, and the college management has suspended them pending further inquiry.
On Monday, student unions affiliated with the Congress and the RSS organized protests at the college, demanding significant actions against the accused faculty members. This reaction followed the release of an audio clip on Sunday in which Nithin allegedly expressed that a teacher had insulted and threatened him. Nithin’s sister, Nikitha, further claimed that her brother faced consistent humiliation related to his skin color, caste, and his parents’ status as daily wage laborers.
Aromal, the chairperson of the college students’ union, revealed that previous complaints had been lodged against one of the accused faculty members, who serves as the head of a department. Aromal stated that the principal had previously addressed the issue, temporarily assigning the faculty member away from duties, but he was later reinstated.
Another classmate of Nithin, Astha, accused the head of the department of belittling students based on their caste and appearance. She asserted that the faculty member took pleasure in body-shaming and aimed to instill fear within the classroom environment, a behavior reportedly witnessed by senior students as well.
The college administration, which has taken steps to suspend the implicated faculty members and has ordered an internal investigation, has not provided any comments following these developments. Efforts to reach the college principal for a statement were unsuccessful.
In response to the situation, the Kannur City Police Commissioner on Sunday established a special investigation team led by Assistant Commissioner Hariprasad to delve deeper into the matter. Preliminary findings from the police indicated that Nithin may have been under pressure from agents related to an online loan application, with claims that these agents issued threats to both him and a faculty member not currently facing charges.
While the police have opened a case of abetment of suicide in light of Nithin’s passing, his family has expressed doubts regarding the circumstances, suspecting potential foul play. On Monday, authorities confirmed that their investigation has been intensified.
