Kannur dental student’s death: Cyber police register case against loan app operator

Cyber Police have registered a case against unidentified loan app operators in connection with the death of a Kannur Dental College student at Anjarakandy, officials said on Monday.

The case was registered by the Kannur Cyber Police on Sunday night after a complaint was filed by an assistant professor of the college.

According to police, Nithin Raj R L, a first-year BDS student, had availed a loan through an online lending application. After he defaulted on repayment, the app operators allegedly began contacting a faculty member of the college, escalating the matter beyond the borrower’s personal contacts.

The FIR states that the accused contacted the assistant professor via MMS and WhatsApp messages, issuing threats in connection with the repayment. They also allegedly attempted to illegally siphon money from her account, officials said.

Police said such loan app networks often resort to contacting multiple individuals from a borrower’s phone contacts list when repayment is delayed, in an attempt to pressure recovery.

The 22-year-old student, a native of Uzhamalackal in Puthukulangara, Thiruvananthapuram district, was found critically injured after falling from a building near the medical college block on April 10. He was rushed to a hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.

Following his death, the family alleged that Raj was subjected to emotional harassment on caste and complexion grounds by two faculty members. Based on the complaint, police registered a separate case against Dental Anatomy Department Head M K Ram and Associate Professor K T Sangeetha Nambiar under charges of abetment of suicide and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is currently probing all possible angles in the case, including whether the student’s death was linked to alleged harassment by loan app operators as well as the circumstances within the college.

Investigators have also recovered chat records from the student’s mobile phone, which indicate that he had requested additional time to repay the loan. According to police, he had taken a loan of Rs.14, 000 and was later asked to immediately repay Rs. 8,000. He had reportedly appealed for a few weeks’ time due to financial difficulties.

The SIT, led by the Station House Officer of Chakkarakkallu police station, visited the student’s residence and recorded statements from his parents and sister. Officials said the family’s statements were recorded separately and digital evidence was also collected.

The student’s father told reporters that the loan was taken through a mobile application for the treatment of his wife. “We were repaying it. But recently, the repayment defaulted. If the teacher was aggrieved by the loan app’s calls and my son had done anything wrong, they should have informed us. You can check my phone, there is no call from the college,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, the Kerala SC/ST Commission Chairperson Shekaran Miniyodan visited the family and confirmed that the Commission has registered a case and sought a report from the police. He said a preliminary report has been requested within 10 days and that forensic findings, once available, will also be examined.

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has also initiated proceedings and sought a report from police. Authorities said all aspects—including alleged cyber intimidation, financial stress, and caste-based harassment allegations—are under active investigation.