Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday reacted to the death of a dental student in his state Kannur from Kerala, whose parents alleged that the 22-year-old was harassed by faculty members because of his caste.
The victim, identified as Nithin Raj RL, was a native Uzhamalackal is from Thiruvananthapuram and a first-year student of BDS College located at Anjarakandy in Kannur.
According to police, Raj was found critically injured near the medical college building after he fell from the building on the afternoon of April 10. Although he was transferred to the College of Medicine and received treatment, he died of his wounds.
Shashi Tharoor, who represents Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha, has now corroborated the allegations of the victim’s parents and friends, alleging “relentless verbal abuse, casteist slurs, threats and deliberate academic sabotage” by the college’s faculty.
“This is eerily reminiscent of the death of Siddharthan, another young student from Thiruvananthapuram. I visited his grieving family after his tragic death. In his case, it was foolish students who led him to his end, while callous administration looked the other way. Different culprits, the same criminal institutional failure. These are not isolated tragedies. They are symptoms of a deeply sick campus culture – a culture that preys on the weak and protects the strong,” Tharoor wrote. X.
According to the former Union minister, Nithin’s family claims that he was ridiculed because of his caste, skin color and financial background.
“His internal signs [scores for exams] They were allegedly cut off as punishment. His mother’s surgery was ridiculed in class. “When he finally dared to stand up for himself, the system that should have protected him failed him disastrously,” Tharoor said.
He said that although suspending two faculty members was a “start,” it was “not enough at all.”
He called for a comprehensive criminal investigation and full accountability of the college administration. “How many siddhartans and nithiins do we have to mourn before Kerala – and India – finds the will to truly cleanse our campuses of this poison? Our institutions must be havens of learning and dignity, not arenas of humiliation and impunity. #JusticeForNithinRaj. Not tomorrow. Now,” he added.
Police launch an investigation
Police have launched an investigation against the faculty of Kannur Dental College after a first-year student died after falling from a building in a suspected case of suicide.
The Chakarakkal police, which registered a case of unnatural death, began investigation after the parents and friends of the deceased alleged that he was emotionally harassed by the faculty members.
Following the incident, the college also initiated an internal investigation and on Saturday suspended dental anatomy department head MK Ram and associate professor KT Sangeetha Nambiar.
According to police, the victim, Nithin Raj, sent a voice message to his friends alleging harassment by faculty members, including threats of physical assault and academic repercussions such as lowering his grades in exams.
A detailed investigation into the incident is underway, with digital evidence being collected, officials at Chakarakkal police station said, quoted by news agency PTI.
Cops also said that statements of Raj’s colleagues, college authorities and family members will be recorded soon.
The family claims harassment
Nithin Raj’s father told reporters that his son was subjected to emotional and verbal harassment by teachers because of his dark skin and poor family background.
“He worked hard without any support to secure admission to the merit seat in the dental college. But he was harassed by the faculty members because of his caste and colour. They also threatened to hurt him academically,” Rajan alleged.
Rajan said they had filed a complaint against the faculty members with the police and expected a fair investigation into his son’s death.
The victim’s sister, Nikita, said he faced repeated harassment on the basis of caste and colour. She claimed that Raj filed a complaint with the college principal, but no action was taken.
She added: “He regularly told us about such discrimination and harassment. He was once called into the staff room where he was subjected to severe harassment.”
The sister also alleged that a faculty member called Raj a “slum dog” in the classroom in front of other students.
She added: “One time, when the harassment became unbearable, he responded, and after that the verbal abuse intensified.”
The college says two faculty members have been suspended
College authorities told PTI that two faculty members have been suspended and are cooperating with police investigations.
“We will fully cooperate with the investigation and share all the details. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the police investigation,” an official said.
Meanwhile, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission on Sunday ordered the police to conduct a detailed investigation into the student’s death and submit a report within a week.
The committee took up the case on its own initiative based on media reports.
Judicial Committee member K Baijunath has directed the Kannur City Police Commissioner to investigate the allegations surrounding the incident and submit a report within the stipulated time, according to a statement.
The other case mentioned by Shashi Tharoor
The other case mentioned by Shashi Tharoor was that of GS Siddharthan, a 20-year-old student at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Pookode, Wayanad, who died on February 18, 2024.
The case remains an important legal and political issue in Kerala. It was initially reported as a suicide, but was later revealed by CBI investigation and autopsy reports involving brutal ‘mob trial’ style and physical torture.
