"They pushed him to death": Heartbroken father refuses to meet college officials who caused Nithin Raj's demise

KANNUR: The family of Nithin Raj, a first-year BDS student who died by suicide following alleged mental harassment, visited the Ancharakandi Dental College campus on Wednesday. The visit was marked by emotional outbursts and accusations against the college administration.

Family rejects suicide claim

Nithin’s father, L.Y. Rajan, along with his sister Rakhi and brother-in-law Ashokan, arrived at the campus at 11:30 AM. Upon reaching the site, an emotional Rajan maintained that his son would not have taken his own life voluntarily.

"My son would never commit suicide. He was strong-willed. It was the constant torture from everyone that pushed him to his death," Rajan stated.

The family visited Nithin’s hostel room and the spot where he fell before meeting with college management representatives. However, they pointedly refused to meet with the principal, stating they had no desire to speak with "those who killed their son." Rajan expressed further outrage over the police's failure to arrest the accused teachers or file charges against the principal.

Allegations of planned murder and caste abuse

The family has formally alleged that Nithin’s death was a "planned murder" rather than a suicide. Nithin’s brother-in-law, Ashokan, claimed that the death occurred following a "trial" conducted in the principal's office. He further alleged that a prior dispute involving a loan app was used as a pretext for a targeted personal attack on Nithin.

The family also raised concerns regarding the nature of the investigation, alleging an attempt to suppress evidence of caste-based abuse. They are demanding that the principal be named as a primary accused in the case.

Legal proceedings and campus unrest

The court is scheduled to hear the anticipatory bail applications of the accused teachers today. This legal development comes amid intensifying protests regarding the delay in police intervention and arrests.

Tensions boiled over today during a protest march organised by the Dalit League. Clashes erupted when private bouncers, hired by the college management, reportedly intercepted and assaulted the activists. Police were forced to intervene to bring the situation under control.

Protesters noted that the deployment of private bouncers was "unusual," as they had not been present during previous demonstrations. The Dalit League has now demanded that the bouncers be charged under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.