Crime branch arrests former HoD in Kannur BDS student suicide case
Arrested
Kannur: In a recent development in the alleged suicide abetment case linked to the death of first-year BDS student, the Kerala Crime Branch has arrested the former Head of the Department of Dental Anatomy at Kannur Dental College, Anjarakandy. He is the prime accused in the case.
The doctor was apprehended in Karnataka after remaining absconding for several weeks following the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea by the Supreme Court. Confirming the arrest, Crime Branch Superintendent of Police K.V. Venugopal said the accused was brought to Kannur on Sunday night and taken to the Crime Branch office. He will be produced before the jurisdictional court after completion of the required legal formalities.
According to a recent report by ANI, the Keralam Crime Branch has arrested the prime accused in the alleged abetment of suicide case related to the death of first-year BDS student of Kannur Dental College.
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The doctor reportedly had been evading arrest since the Keralam High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea on June 19. The Supreme Court also rejected his plea on July 13, after which a Crime Branch team led by Inspector Sreejith Koderi launched a search operation and apprehended him in Karnataka
According to investigators, the Crime Branch had earlier traced him to Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh by monitoring his phone calls and messages, but he managed to evade arrest before the team reached him. The search subsequently continued across neighbouring states before he was finally arrested in Karnataka.
The second accused in the case had earlier been granted anticipatory bail by a district court. She was later arrested and released on bail in accordance with the court's order.
On July 15, parents of the deceased student, met Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan at the Secretariat and submitted a memorandum seeking justice in the case. His mother, made an emotional appeal to the State government, saying her son was yet to receive justice and urging authorities to hold those responsible accountable for his death.
Addressing reporters, she said, "My son has not received justice. My son deserves justice. Today marks 95 days since my son died. I sent my son to study, not to be killed."
The deceased student's father, demanded the immediate arrest of the prime accused while expressing confidence in the Chief Minister's assurance of a fair probe.
"We met the Chief Minister and informed him of the facts. We requested an investigation that takes into account the concerns and demands of our family. Even 95 days after my son's death, there has been no progress in the investigation. The investigation was sabotaged under the leadership of the Commissioner and the ACP. They extended every possible assistance to help the accused," Rajan said.
The BDS student died on April 10. His family alleged that he was subjected to caste-based harassment by faculty members at the college, following which a case of abetment of suicide was registered and the investigation was handed over to the Crime Branch.
