The Crime Branch in Kerala has named Kannur Dental College principal Dr. Vinod Moni and faculty member Dr. Latha Sasidharan as accused in its investigation into the death of dental student Nitin Raj. Both have approached the Thalassery District and Sessions Court seeking anticipatory bail after being added to the case.
Raj, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, died on April 10 after jumping from the college building. His relatives alleged that teachers had subjected him to caste-based abuse, with their initial allegations focused primarily on Dr. M.K. Ram and another faculty member, Sangeeta Nambiar. The allegations have not been established by the court.
Ram is listed as the first accused and Nambiar as the second. Both were suspended after protests. The Crime Branch took over the investigation from the Special Investigation Team on April 30; the inquiry has now brought the principal and another teacher into the accused list.
Ram, who had been absconding, was arrested in Kodagu, Karnataka, on July 20. The Thalassery court granted him bail on September 9, subject to conditions that include staying away from Kannur Dental College and not influencing students.
The latest bail petitions concern the two officials newly named by investigators. The available account does not state when the court will hear their applications. Their inclusion in the investigation is an accusation, not a finding of guilt; the case remains before the legal process.