Nithin Raj case: prime accused surrenders to crime branch, remanded in custody

MK Ram, who was charged with abetment of suicide in connection with the death of BDS student Nithin Raj of Anjarakanda Dental College, was taken for medical examination after his arrest was officially recorded on Thursday.

MK Ram, the main accused in the death of Kannur Dental College student Nitin Raj, surrendered to the crime branch on Thursday after the special Thalassery SC/ST court allowed his re-arrest on Wednesday.

He was questioned and medically examined at the Kannur District Hospital and produced before the Thalassery Principal Sessions Court, which remanded him to Kannur Sub Jail for 14 days. The Crime Branch is expected to move the court on Friday to seek the remand of Dr. Rama for further questioning.

The Criminal Division requested permission to re-arrest Dr. Rama after the Thalassery High Sessions Court ordered his release, ruling that investigators did not follow Supreme Court guidelines governing arrests when he was taken into custody in Karnataka.

The Kerala High Court slammed DySP Crime Branch Sudheer Kallan for procedural malpractice in the case. A bench headed by Justice A. Badharudeen observed that senior police officers had intervened in a manner that was beneficial to the accused and recommended that the investigating officer be suspended from service. The court described the investigation as a complete failure of the administration and described the lapses as unprecedented in the last 15 years.

Based on the observations of the High Court, the Ministry of Home Affairs reconstituted the investigation team. The investigation was transferred from Kannur Crime Branch SP KV Venugopal to Malappuram Crime Branch SP MP Mohanachandran, with DySP Jeevan George appointed as the new investigating officer under the supervision of Mr Mohanachandran.

During the interrogation of Dr. According to the investigation team, Ram denied subjecting Nithin Raj to mental harassment or making casteist remarks.

Dr. Ram, former head of the department of oral pathology at Kannur Dental College, Anjarakandy, has been charged with abetting suicide and offenses under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Before his death, Nithin Raj informed the family that he was being psychologically harassed by the head of the department. Amid widespread public outrage over the incident, school management fired Dr. Rama from service.

Published – 23 Jul 2026 19:07 IST