Kerala cyber police have registered a case against loan app operators in connection with the death of a student of a dental college in Kannur district, police said on Monday, adding that another case has also been registered against faculty members on charges of abetment to suicide and caste-based harassment. Police said both teachers are still on the run.
According to the police, call data records obtained from the deceased’s phone indicated a loan he had taken from an online app to fund his mother’s medical treatment, which had allegedly not yet been fully repaid. The loan application recovery agents are believed to have repeatedly contacted the student as well as the faculty member regarding the loan. Police are investigating whether the loan and its receivables are linked to the student’s alleged suicide.
The student’s father confirmed that his son obtained the loan to treat his mother. The father told reporters, “For a month and a half, my wife was undergoing treatment and surgery at the hospital. I was in no condition to work and we needed money. He had taken the loan to fund the treatment and the installment might have been skipped. But I did not receive a single call or letter from the college authorities informing me if my son was being harassed by the loan officers.”
The student, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram district, was found seriously injured near the medical college building after falling from a building on the afternoon of April 10. He was taken to hospital but later died of his injuries.
Police said investigators believe the app may have accessed the teacher’s contact from the deceased’s phone and used it to pressure the student to pay dues. The cyber case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act: Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 308(3) (extortion), and 66D of the Information Technology Act (cheating by impersonation using computer resources).
Meanwhile, the primary focus of the investigation remained on the allegations raised by the family of the deceased that the first-year student was routinely harassed by the faculty of the dental college on the basis of caste and colour. On Monday, the special investigation team visited the house of the deceased and collected statements from his family, the police said.
Chakarakkal police detained two faculty members of the medical college on charges of abetment to suicide under the provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police said both are still on the run and did not respond to requests for comment.
Students of the dental college spoke out against the faculty, testifying to allegations of caste and color harassment.
A colleague of the deceased student said: “His words in the audio clip that was released are all true. He was harassed in class by faculty members. Students are asked to read his answer sheets. Students in class are regularly shamed for their bodies. I have been mocked for my body weight. Others have been mocked for the color of their skin.”
Another student said: “We were subjected to psychological and verbal abuse. Students are made fun of based on whether they are light or dark-skinned.”
