Kochi, April 28 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Tuesday initiated a suo motu case over widespread violence reported during a statewide shutdown called by Dalit organisations in protest against the death of BDS student Nithin Raj.

A division bench of Justices Basant Balaji and P. Krishna Kumar took note of reports indicating at least 27 cases registered across the state and sought a response from the police chief.

By afternoon, 91 persons had been arrested in connection with clashes, road blockades, and disruptions to public transport during the dawn-to-dusk strike.

The protest was called amid allegations that Raj, a first-year student at Kannur Dental College, died by suicide following caste-based harassment by faculty.

Protesters demanded a murder probe, arrest of the accused, Rs 10 crore compensation for the family, and cancellation of the college’s accreditation.

The police have registered cases against two faculty members under provisions related to abetment of suicide and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, even as legal proceedings continue.

The High Court’s intervention is significant, given its earlier orders effectively banning shutdowns and holding organisers liable for loss and violence.

The bench directed the State to place detailed reports on record and posted the matter for further hearing on May 1.

Beyond the immediate trigger, the episode has once again spotlighted Kerala’s recurring cycle of ‘hartals’ (shutdowns) that often bring the state to a standstill.

While called a form of political expression, the protests have increasingly drawn criticism for paralysing daily life, halting public transport, shuttering businesses, stranding travellers, and disrupting essential services.

Critics argue that such coercive shutdowns amount to holding the public to ransom, undermining both economic activity and civil liberties.

With the judiciary stepping in yet again, the focus now shifts to accountability, both for the alleged circumstances leading to the student’s death and for the violence that unfolded in the name of protest.

–IANS

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