Caste abuse in focus as Kerala student dies on campus; Shashi Tharoor reacts

Ten years after doctoral scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide over alleged casteist harassment at a higher education institution that took the country by storm, it seems nothing much has changed on the ground. On Friday (April 10), Nithin Raj, a 23-year-old student of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, allegedly died by suicide on the campus at Kannur Dental College in Anjarakandy in the southern state. In this case, too, allegations of casteist slurs and academic harassment have been made.

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Raj's death took a shocking turn when audio recordings were found backing his family's allegations that he was targeted with verbal abuse, casteist slurs, threats and intentional academic sabotage by the faculty. MP Shashi Tharoor, who represents Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha, also expressed his dismay by saying on a social media post, "A bright young life, extinguished by a toxic campus".

What happened to Nithin?

As per the first-information report filed after the death, Nithin was found lying injured in a gravel-laden area of the campus by another student around 1.30 pm. He was immediately taken to the college's casualty department, where he died a few hours later, while receiving treatment.

A case was registered under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Chakkarakkal Police Station. One of Raj's supervisors said there were no previous complaints or concerns about the deceased, local media reports said. One college official said the post-mortem was underway and more details were awaited.

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission on Sunday (April 12) directed the police to conduct a detailed investigation into the death and submit a report within a week.

What Nithin told his family before dying

In the days before his death, Nithin sent voice messages to his family describing what he alleged was sustained harassment by a faculty member, Dr M K Ram. In the recordings, he recounts visiting the staffroom after a classroom altercation, where the teacher allegedly called him an idiot, mocked his mother's recent surgery, slashed three marks from his exam as punishment, and threatened to physically harm him if he left the premises.

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Rajan, the father of the deceased, told reporters that Nithin was emotionally and "verbally harassed" by teachers over his dark complexion and poor family background. Even his caste was questioned.

"He worked hard without any support to secure admission on a merit seat in the dental college. But he was harassed by faculty over his caste and colour. They also threatened to harm him academically," Rajan claimed.

Nithin's sister Nikitha told Onmanorama that call recordings and further evidence remain on his phone.

The college allegedly did not inform Nithin's family of his death, Onmanorama reported. His brother-in-law, Asokan, said they were told only that he had sustained an injury. The family reportedly learned of his death through news reports.

Two faculty members suspended

Following the outcry, two faculty members, including Dr Ram and K T Sangeetha Nambiar, were suspended pending inquiry. The police were talking with them over the probe.

Tharoor demands accountability

Tharoor called Nithin's death a symptom of a "deeply diseased campus culture". Drawing a parallel to the 2024 death of student J S Sidharthan, another student from Kerala, he demanded a thorough criminal investigation and full accountability across the college administration. "Different perpetrators, same criminal institutional failure," he said.

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“This is chillingly reminiscent of the death of Sidharthan, another young student from Thiruvananthapuram. I had visited his grieving family after his tragic passing. In his case, it was student goons who drove him to his end, while a callous management looked the other way. Different perpetrators, same criminal institutional failure. These are not isolated tragedies. They are symptoms of a deeply diseased campus culture — one that preys on the vulnerable and shields the powerful,” he wrote on X.

Protests continued at Nithin's home in Uzhamalakkal over his death, meanwhile, where friends and former teachers gathered to express solidarity with the grieving family.

(Suicides can be prevented. For help, please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help - +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation - 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484-2540530, and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 04424640050)