Judiciary warns against procedural negligence in sensitive cases

The Kerala High Court issued a stark warning to law‑enforcement officials on Friday after uncovering serious procedural negligence in the handling of the Nitin Raj suicide investigation. Justice A. Badruddin interrogated Deputy Superintendent of Police Sudheer Kallan about the repeated failure to inform the accused, Dr. M. Kodanda Ram, of the precise reasons for his detention.

The judge stressed that the Supreme Court has unequivocally ruled that every arrest must be accompanied by a clear articulation of the grounds, especially in cases involving vulnerable victims. The court questioned whether the lapse was an inadvertent mistake or a calculated move to undermine the Home Department’s standing, which has been highlighted for operations such as “Operation Storm.”

The matter is being pursued on behalf of the parents of Nitin Raj, a Dalit dental student whose death has sparked widespread outrage over alleged caste‑based bullying. The lower court had previously nullified the first arrest for procedural non‑compliance, prompting a re‑arrest after the police attempted to rectify the error.

Justice Badruddin asked the officer to recount his arrest history, noting that he had previously provided reasons in other cases but failed to do so here. He reminded the officer that his core responsibility is to carry out impartial investigations, free from bias or protective shelter for either side.

In addition to admonishing the police, the bench ordered the government’s legal representative to initiate disciplinary action against the officials responsible for the oversight. The court set a subsequent hearing for two weeks later, during which it will assess the outcome of any punitive measures.