Dental Student Suicide Case: Kerala High Court Asks Why Deputy Police Superintendent Not Suspended Despite Investigative Lapses

The Kerala High Court on Monday questioned why the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) who investigated the suicide of dental student Nithin Raj had not been suspended despite the State Government itself finding serious procedural lapses in the investigation.

Justice Badharudeen, while considering the matter, observed that an oral enquiry alone would not suffice in a case involving such serious lapses and questioned the State's decision not to place the investigating officer under suspension pending departmental proceedings.

"Why are you not suspending him... In such serious cases... The police officers must be suspended pending enquiry," the judge orally remarked.

The observations came after the State placed before the Court a Government Order directing an oral enquiry under Rule 6 of the Kerala Police Departmental Inquiries, Punishment and Appeal Rules against DySP Sudheer Kallen of the Crime Branch.

The Government Order recorded serious procedural deficiencies in the investigation, particularly the investigating officer's failure to communicate the grounds of arrest while arresting the first accused, Dr. M. Kodanda Ram, resulting in his release by the Sessions Court.

Noting the findings recorded in the Government Order, the Court questioned why no immediate action had been taken against the officer.

"Today a government order issued by the Additional Chief Secretary has been placed .. finding serious lapse on the part of the officer.. No immediate actions taken by the authority concerned and now the GO would say that a panel of enquiry officers being appointed as enquiry officers.....The Police Chief is specifically directed to consider the report and pass necessary expedient order and also to form the competent officers panel within a period of one week," the Court ordered.

Accordingly, the Court directed the State Police Chief to consider the enquiry report and pass appropriate orders expeditiously.

The Court had earlier raised concerns over the manner in which the investigation was conducted, observing that there appeared to be a larger conspiracy to shield the accused.

Dr. Kodanda Ram, Head of the Department of Dental Anatomy at Kannur Dental College, is the principal accused in the case. He was arrested by the Crime Branch from Karnataka on July 20 after allegedly evading arrest for nearly 100 days. However, when he was produced before the Principal District and Sessions Court, Thalassery, he was released after the Court found that the investigating agency had failed to properly communicate the grounds of arrest, as mandated by the Supreme Court.

In its order dated 24 July, the High Court had prima facie found that the mandatory requirement of furnishing the grounds of arrest had not been complied with and had reminded the Public Prosecutor to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the officers responsible.

The prosecution alleges that Nithin Raj died by suicide due to persistent mental harassment by Dr. Ram, who allegedly humiliated him in front of classmates knowing that he belonged to a Scheduled Caste community. Dr. Ram is accused of offences under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Case No: Crl.A 609/ 2026

Case Title: Dr. M.Kodanda Ram v. State and Ors.

Counsel for the appellant: S. Rajeev, V. Vinay, M.S. Aneer, Anilkumar C.R., Sarath K.P., Dipa V., K.S. Kiran Krishnan, Akash Cherian Thomas, Azad Sunil, T.P. Aravind, Maheswar Padickal, Akshara S. and Nivedita Rajeev.

Counsel for the respondents - A. Parvathy Menon - for respondents 3 and 4 - Victim Rights Centre - KeLSA, Vipin Narayanan A. - Sr. Public Prosecutor