Published Apr 18, 2026 | 7:59 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 18, 2026 | 7:59 PM
RL Nithin Raj.
Synopsis: The college management has not accepted the resignations that came in the backdrop of intensifying allegations from students, who have publicly accused certain members of the department of contributing to the circumstances surrounding Nithin Raj’s death.
A deepening crisis has gripped the Orthodontics Department of Kannur Dental College in Anjarakandy on Saturday, 18 April, as all seven staff members, including teaching faculty, collectively stepped down amid escalating student protests linked to the death of first-year BDS student RL Nithin Raj.
The coordinated resignations, though yet to be formally accepted by the management, mark a dramatic turn in the ongoing unrest on campus.
The move comes in the backdrop of intensifying allegations from students, who have publicly accused certain members of the department of contributing to the circumstances surrounding Raj’s death.
While the development underscores the mounting pressure within the institution, the college authorities have so far remained tight-lipped, neither officially acknowledging the resignations nor outlining any immediate administrative response.
Meanwhile, protests continue to gain momentum, with students leveraging social media and other forums to voice their concerns and demand accountability, turning the spotlight firmly on the institution’s handling of the issue.
In a separate but related development, Kerala’s Cyber Police wing arrested three persons in connection with the harassment of a college teacher through a loan app linked to Raj.
The arrests were made in Noida following a complaint related to threats issued via the loan app “InstaPay.”
The accused have been identified as Rishikesh Tiwari (32) and Prashant Khewal (28), both natives of Uttar Pradesh, and Prakash Jai (54) from Faridabad, Haryana.
The case originated after Raj borrowed money through the app and failed to repay it. The teacher, whose phone number had been listed as a reference, began receiving a barrage of threatening calls and messages.
The callers warned of continued harassment if the dues were not cleared.
Despite blocking multiple numbers, the harassment persisted with calls from new numbers, with several calls made within short intervals.
Although most of the numbers used by the accused were later switched off, police traced one active number, which led them to Noida and the subsequent arrests.
Raj later allegedly committed suicide. Other than the harassment from faculty members, the student has also learnt to have suffered threats from a loan app over repayment issues.
Raj was found dead on the campus on 10 April. His family and students alleged constant harassment by faculty.
