The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Dr. M.K. Ram in connection with the death of Nithin Raj, a first-year BDS student of Kannur Medical College, Anjarakandy.

The student had allegedly committed suicide on the college campus in April, when Dr. Ram was the head of the Dental Anatomy department.

Dr. Ram had challenged the order of the Special Judge under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Thalassery, which had denied him anticipatory bail.

He was accused of abetting the student’s suicide and charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Act.

He argued that allegations of instigation were baseless and there was no prima facie evidence that he intimidated or humiliated the student in public.

In his plea for pre-arrest bail, he submitted that the student had borrowed ₹15,000 through a loan app and had failed to repay it, and that harassment by the operators led to his suicide.

He also said he had been subjected to a media trial based on conjectures and requested that the court not be influenced by it, to which the court replied that decisions would be based only on records and evidence and that freedom of the press is a constitutional right.

The student’s father opposed the contentions and accused Dr. Ram of regularly bullying the student, saying undue emphasis was placed on the loan-app narrative to divert attention from alleged humiliation, intimidation and caste-based remarks.

During the hearing, Justice A. Badharudeen examined statements of classmates recorded by the police regarding Dr. Ram’s conduct as professor.

Since the student had secured admission under the SC/ST quota, the court held it could be presumed the accused knew his caste status, and that offences under the SC/ST Act could be made out.

The court observed that alleged harassment compelled the student to say he would discontinue studies, that he was called to the principal’s room, and later died by suicide, and therefore the accused cannot be presumed innocent at this stage.

The court also expressed concern over teachers insulting students, pressuring them over internal marks, seeking an independent grievance forum.