Thiruvananthapuram: The General Education Department has announced a probe into the death of a Plus One student who was found hanging inside the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Paruthippally, here on Friday morning.

As per the directive of General Education and Labour Minister V Sivankutty, Ubaid, Deputy Director (Curriculum) of the Vocational Higher Secondary section, will lead the investigation.

The deceased is Benson Abraham (16), a native of Erumakuzhi. The boy was found hanging from the roof near the staircase of the school building. Benson’s uncle alleged that the boy had quarrelled with the school clerk over affixing the school’s seal on his record.

Thursday was the last date for submitting the record. When Benson approached his teacher with his work, he was instructed to get the seal affixed at the office. However, the boy quarrelled with the clerk after the latter refused to comply with his request. Later, the principal intervened in the issue and asked Benson to bring his parents to school on Friday.

After returning home, Benson’s mother scolded him for creating an issue with the clerk. The boy reportedly left home on Thursday night and did not return.

Following this, his family filed a complaint with the police in the early hours of Friday. The school staff reportedly found him hanging when they reached to open the institution on Friday morning. 

A police officer told Onmanorama that the body will be shifted to Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram for autopsy after inquest procedures. The reason behind the suicide is yet to be confirmed, he added. It is learned that the boy clashed with some students at the school on Thursday, he added.