Kerala student death: SIT intensifies probe into Nithin Raj’s suicide, loan app threat

KOCHI: The special investigation team (SIT) has intensified its probe into the alleged suicide of Anjarakandy Dental College first-year BDS student Nithin Raj, 23, and the reported threat from a loan app firm. The team collected evidence at the institution.Nithin from Puthukulangara in Thiruvananthapuram was found critically injured near the college block after falling from a building and later succumbed to his injuries on Friday. Nithin's family alleged that he was subjected to emotional harassment on caste and complexion grounds by two faculty members, following which a case was registered against dental anatomy department head Dr M K Ram and associate professor K T Sangeetha Nambiar for abetment of suicide and under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. However, police are yet to record the arrest of the teachers. Meanwhile, college principal Dr Vinod Mony told reporters that Nithin was called to the principal's office following a complaint raised by another teacher regarding calls she received from a loan app."She got images of Nithin along with a threat from the loan app asking to repay the loan," said the principal.According to Mony, Nithin said that he did not give the teacher's name to the loan app. He said that he only gave three reference numbers, including that of his parents and sister. He said that his mother's name was Latha, which was also the teacher's name. It is suspected that the fraudsters hacked Nithin's phone and accessed the contact list and mistakenly called up the teacher thinking that they were contacting mother Latha."Naturally, when the teacher heard this, she became emotional," said Mony. He said that apart from the teacher concerned, vice-principal and another faculty member from the anatomy department were present in the chamber.Mony said that he joined the college only on Dec 18 and since then he has not received any complaints regarding the allegations that surfaced against Ram and Nambiar about harassment.The principal said that the internal inquiry by the six-member committee from the college was continuing. He said notices were served to the two teachers and they have been given five days to submit an explanation.Meanwhile, DYFI took out a protest march to a dental clinic at Dharmadom reportedly run by Ram.