Kerala dental student's suicide: Audio clips reveal alleged threats & abuse by faculty member, HRC orders probe

Nithin Raj, the first-year BDS student who allegedly died by suicide at Kannur Dental College, Anjarakandy had sent voice messages to his family, detailing the casteist abuse and harassment he faced in the college. Three audio clips, purportedly sent by Nithin to his family, were circulated on Sunday. Nithin's sister Nikitha has told Onmanorama that there were call recordings and other evidence in his phone.

He was found dead on the college campus on Friday in a suspected case of suicide. Following his death, the Chakkarakkal police registered a case under Section 194 (unnatural death) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to college principal Dr Vinod Mony, Nithin was found, lying injured, by a student around 1.15 pm near the medical college block.

The State Human Rights Commission has ordered an inquiry by the City Police Commissioner. The order was issued after the HRC registered a suo moto case following media reports.

The voice clips have surfaced amid allegations of harassment against one of the faculty members, Dr M K Ram. Nithin’s family had accused Dr Ram of verbally abusing and threatening him, and alleged that the principal was attempting to cover up the same by denying that a complaint was filed against the abuse. The principal did not respond to Onmanorama's request for a comment.

In the audio clip, Nithin can be heard saying that when he had visited the staffroom, a faculty member had called him an idiot and threatened to cause physical harm. “When I visited the staffroom, he said, 'You are an idiot'. To which I responded, same to you,” he said.

“He said that he would cut off my limbs if I left the premises and told me that I would have to live like an invalid,” he added. Nithin says that he then responded to the threats, saying that he would like to see that happen.

He also alleged that a lot of students reached out to him following the incident, as the same faculty had abused several others as well.

“I did not go there to pick a fight yesterday. I was paying attention in class when he mocked my mother and her surgery,” Nithin told his friend via voice message. After that, the teacher allegedly told the youth that he had reduced 3 marks in the exam and told him to go 'surprise' his parents with the news.

“I tolerated the insults as much as I could,” Nithin said. He added that he finally lost his cool and told the teacher that he did not want to sit in his class.

Following Nithin's death, two faculty members Dr Ram and K T Sangeetha Nambiar were suspended based on complaints received citing their role in his death.

Protests have intensified over the alleged suicide of Nithin. His school-friends and teachers who gathered at his home for the funeral expressed shock and grief. “He was such a well-mannered boy. We can't believe he was driven towards taking such an extreme step,” one of his friends told the media.

Nithin's brother-in-law Asokan said that the college authorities didn't even inform the family of his death. “We were just told that he had sustained an injury. They didn't tell us his condition was critical and even his death was not communicated to us,” Asokan told Onmanorama. Nithin's sister Nikitha has said that they came to know of his death from the news.