Kannur: Crime Branch DySP of Kannur Sudheer Kallan has been suspended for alleged lapses in the arrest of Dr Ram, an accused in the death of Nithin Raj, a student of Anjarakandy Dental College in Kannur.

The action comes days after the Kerala High Court strongly criticised the police for allowing Kallan to continue in service despite findings of serious lapses in the handling of the arrest.

The court had questioned why the DySP was still in service when an inquiry had found that he had failed to properly carry out the arrest of Dr Ram. The court had also observed that DySP appeared to have attempted to help the accused evade legal action, describing his continued service as a failure on the part of police.

According to the inquiry, Kallan failed to provide Dr Ram with a written notice stating the grounds for his arrest. The lapse was later raised by the defence before the Thalassery court, which resulted in Dr Ram being released.

The police subsequently approached the court and arrested Dr Ram again after completing the required procedures.

Following the controversy, Kallan and some other officers were removed from the investigation team.

Nithin Raj, a first-year student, died in April 2026 after falling from the campus building. His family alleged that he was driven to suicide following continuous caste-based harassment and public humiliation by Dr Ram, then Head of the Department. Based on the allegations, the Crime Branch charged Dr Ram with abetment to suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.