The Kerala High Court on Wednesday (22July) sharply questioned the State Police over the manner in which the arrest of Dr. M. Kodanda Ram, the prime accused in the Nithin Raj suicide case, was handled. The Court expressed serious concern after procedural lapses led to the accused's release and observed that the circumstances raised doubts about a possible larger conspiracy involving senior police officials.
The matter came up before Justice A. Badharudeen while hearing an application filed in connection with the investigation into the death of dental student Nithin Raj.
Background of the Case
Nithin Raj, a student of Kannur Dental College, died by suicide in April 2026 after allegedly facing repeated harassment at the college. Dr. M. Kodanda Ram, Head of the Department of Dental Anatomy, is the first accused in the case.
According to the prosecution, Dr. Ram remained unavailable for nearly 100 days before being arrested by the Crime Branch. However, the trial court later declared the arrest illegal and ordered his release after finding that the investigating agency had failed to properly communicate the grounds of arrest, a safeguard mandated by the Supreme Court.
The victim's parents approached the High Court, arguing that the procedural requirement should not be misused in cases where an accused had allegedly avoided arrest for a prolonged period.
Court's Observations
Justice A. Badharudeen questioned how a Deputy Superintendent of Police could overlook such an essential legal requirement.
During the hearing, the bench remarked,
"This Court strongly doubts involvement of top officials of the police also in this scam to save the accused from detention prima facie."
The Court also observed that the investigating agency appeared to have delayed the arrest despite the dismissal of the accused's anticipatory bail petitions.
Referring to the conduct of the investigation, the bench orally noted,
"Advise the department itself to investigate the large-scale conspiracy, including the top officials of the State Police. Otherwise, this Court may step in."
The Court further sought to know why disciplinary proceedings had not been initiated against the investigating officer despite the procedural lapse that resulted in the accused's release.
Court's Directions
After hearing the parties, the High Court directed the investigating officer to personally appear before the Court on July 24.
The bench also ordered that all documents placed before the trial court at the time of the accused's production be produced before the High Court. In addition, the investigating officer has been directed to file an affidavit explaining compliance with the Supreme Court's directions governing arrest procedures.
The matter has been posted for further consideration.
Case Details
Case Title: Dr. M. Kodanda Ram v. State and Others
Case Number: Crl.A. No. 609 of 2026
Judge: Justice A. Badharudeen
Decision Date: July 22, 2026
