Palakkad: Tension prevailed at the Higher Secondary School in Kannadi, Palakkad, on Wednesday after the death of a 14-year-old Class 9 student, Arjun, allegedly by suicide. Arjun, son of Jayakrishnan and Manjusha, was found dead in his bedroom around 5.30 pm on Tuesday. His mother found him hanging after returning from work. Though he was rushed to the hospital, doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Following the incident, students boycotted classes and staged a protest on Thursday, joined by local residents and members of student organisations, including the KSU. The Palakkad Town South Police reached the school to bring the situation under control. 

The school management will conduct a probe into the incident. Headmistress Lissy and Arjun's class teacher, Asha, have been temporarily relieved of their duties until the investigation concludes. "This decision was made during a meeting at the school, which included management representatives, the Assistant Education Officer, and the District Educational Officer," said Kannadi panchayat member and school PTA committee representative Beena K. 

Arjun’s family has alleged that harassment and physical assault by his class teacher drove him to take the extreme step. According to his uncle, Mahesh, Arjun was publicly humiliated and beaten after the teacher found him chatting with a classmate on Instagram using inappropriate language. “The teacher told him she would file a cyber complaint and impose a fine of ₹25,000. We came to know about this only after his classmates spoke to us following his death,” Mahesh said.

The school principal, however, denied the allegations. Speaking to the media, she said the teacher had only warned Arjun for misusing his mobile phone and that the matter was being exaggerated. “The teacher merely scolded him for using obscene language online. Arjun had a habit of locking himself in his room whenever issues arose at home. The teachers only intended to correct his behaviour,” the principal said, adding that the boy had also been facing personal issues at home.

Arjun’s funeral was held on Wednesday evening. Kuzhalmannam Police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The family has also lodged a separate complaint alleging mental and physical harassment by the teacher. 

Subsequently, the students also declared a four-day boycott of classes. "The school or management has not yet decided to shut down the operations," Beena K confirmed.

Education Minister V Sivankutty has directed the Director of General Education to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident and submit a report. The Director has also been asked to instruct the school manager to initiate action against the teachers accused in the case, pending the completion of the probe.