Kannur Dental College Student Death Raises Questions About Casteism In Campuses

The death of a first-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) student at Kannur Dental College in Anjarakandy has ignited fresh debate over caste-based discrimination and mental harassment in Kerala’s higher education campuses, a state long regarded as a model of social progress.

RL Nithin Raj, a 22-year-old from Uzhamalakkal in Thiruvananthapuram, was found lying with serious injuries in a gravel-laden area behind the college building on the afternoon of April 10, 2026. He was rushed to Kannur Medical College Hospital but succumbed to his injuries around 3 pm. Police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and are investigating allegations of sustained harassment.

Nithin, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste (Dalit) community, came from a modest background. His parents, Y L Rajan (a daily-wage painting labourer) and C R Latha, had supported him through four years of preparation after Plus Two to secure a merit seat in the dental college last September. He was the family’s first-generation learner in higher professional education and is survived by two sisters, Rakhi and Nikhita.

His family has levelled serious allegations of casteist and colour-based harassment primarily by faculty members, compounded by ragging from senior students. They claim Nithin was repeatedly subjected to verbal abuse, public humiliation, threats of academic failure, and deliberate sabotage of his internal assessment marks. Relatives say he was once called a “slum dog” and was mocked for his dark complexion, caste background and financial status. Despite complaints to the college authorities, no action was taken, they allege.

A leaked audio clip, suspected to be recorded by Nithin himself, has intensified the claims. In the recording, the speaker describes being insulted in the staff room, enduring abusive language, and hearing his mother being mocked over her surgery. He also recounts how one teacher distributed his answer sheet among classmates, pointing out spelling mistakes to ridicule him publicly. “I tolerated the insult as far as I could,” the voice says.

The college administration has suspended two faculty members from the Department of Oral Pathology — Dr MK Ram (Head of Department) and Dr KT Sangeetha Nambiar (Reader) — pending inquiry. Principal Dr Vinod Mony has stated that the institution has constituted an internal committee comprising faculty and student representatives to investigate the matter. He has, however, denied receiving any formal complaint specifically regarding caste harassment.

Chakkarakkal police have begun questioning faculty and students. Nithin’s sister Rakhi told the media that Dr Ram had threatened to slash marks and once scheduled an exam on a day when Nithin already had two others, leaving him severely distressed. Family members have described the hostel environment as isolating Nithin “like a prisoner,” especially during a bout of fever earlier when he was moved to a solitary room and contact with classmates was restricted.

The incident has drawn sharp reactions from across the political spectrum. Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala demanded a high-level probe, stating that “caste discrimination in colleges is concerning” and that Nithin’s parents are firm that their son faced severe taunts based on caste and colour. Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed anguish, noting that audio recordings now corroborate the family’s long-standing allegations of “relentless verbal abuse, casteist slurs, threats, and deliberate academic sabotage.” He drew parallels with the earlier death of another Thiruvananthapuram student, Sidharthan.

Kerala has prided itself on high literacy and social welfare indices, yet recurring cases of student suicides linked to caste, class or institutional harassment continue to surface. Activists and opposition parties argue that covert casteism persists even in supposedly progressive campuses, often masked as “academic discipline” or personal rivalry. Nithin’s case has once again highlighted the vulnerability of first-generation Dalit students who enter elite professional courses without the social capital that many of their peers possess.

College authorities have appealed for calm and have promised a fair investigation. Police say they are examining CCTV footage, witness statements and the audio evidence. A magisterial inquiry is also likely to be ordered.