Thiruvananthapuram: Protests by various student organisations over the electrocution death of a 13-year-old boy at a school in Kollam intensified on Friday, leading to clashes in the state capital. Police used water cannons to disperse protesters and detained around 20 ABVP workers, who were taken to the AR camp. The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Education Minister V Sivankutty over the incident. The BJP also took out a march to the office of Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty.

The Kerala Students Union (KSU) has called for a statewide education bandh, while the ABVP declared a bandh in Kollam district. The RYF also held protests in Kollam, where several activists were detained. The KSU on Friday held protest marches at Thevalakkara Boys’ High School under the leadership of its district committee.

Widespread protests had already broken out on Thursday in front of the school, with BJP–ABVP workers staging a large demonstration. Activists from the Youth Congress and KSU joined the protest, while SFI and AIYF, student wings of the ruling front, also organised separate events.

The protests were sparked by the death of Mithun Manu, a Class 8 student who was electrocuted after coming into contact with a high-voltage line running above an illegally constructed shed attached to the school. He had reportedly climbed the shed to retrieve a fallen sandal. Mithun, who had joined the school just a month ago, was the son of Manu and Suja, residents of Valiyapadam, West Kallada. His body was shifted to the mortuary after a post-mortem. The funeral will be held after his mother, who is currently in Turkey, returns home. A special investigation team led by the Sasthamcotta DySP has been appointed to probe the incident.