Kochi: The death of a 49-year-old college clerk and Booth Level Officer (BLO) has sparked grief and controversy in Moothakunnam in Kochi’s North Paravur after he was found hanging on the terrace of his workplace on Friday.

Shiji S, a resident of Kattiparambil in Moothakunnam and a long-time staff member at SNM Training College, was also the BLO and a well-known figure in the locality, described by colleagues as a silent but highly active presence who was always ready to help.

While his family alleges that he was under extreme mental stress due to a mounting BLO workload, revenue officials have flatly denied any such professional pressure. The tragedy unfolded at approximately 7:30 am when Shiji, who had arrived early to open the college office as per his routine, sent a chilling message to the principal, Susmitha PS.

According to Vadakkekara police, the message, written in Malayalam, was “College Seatil Irikkathavan Dhe Ivide Solaril Thoongi Kidakkunnu,” and it roughly translates to “The one who doesn’t sit on a seat in college now hangs on the solar panel”. The principal discovered the text at 8 am and, sensing immediate danger, alerted the head accountant, Robert, who lives near the campus.

“Shiji sent a message to the principal’s mobile number indicating he was going to die on the college’s terrace. However, the principal, who was busy at home getting ready for college, saw this message later, only around 8 am. She immediately tried to call back Shiji, but he did not pick up. Since my house is only 50m away from the school, she called me and asked me to check,” Robert recalled.

Upon rushing to the terrace of the four-story building with a security guard, they found Shiji hanging from a truss pole. “We saw Shiji hanging from one of the poles of the truss work covering the terrace using a plastic rope around his neck. We were shocked to see that. He was unconscious. We later alerted the police,” Robert told Onmanorama.

The incident has highlighted a stark divide between the family’s account and official statements. Shiji’s brother-in-law, Rajendran, revealed that Shiji was struggling to balance his clerical duties with his responsibilities as a BLO, especially while caring for his 11-year-old daughter, who has been undergoing treatment for trauma since her mother’s death by suicide five years ago.

“Shiji’s wife committed suicide five years ago by self-immolating herself. This has severely affected the family, especially Shiji’s daughter’s mental health. She is still traumatic and undergoing treatment. Shiji was upset and tired about all this but he was holding up,” Rajendran said.

He added that Shiji recently hit a breaking point regarding his workload. “A few days back, he told my wife around 120 forms he submitted as BLO returned and he is tired of the work. He said despite roaming around the village working hard as a BLO, the work was not getting over and he feared governmental action over it. We had no idea he would take his life after that,” Rajendran said.

However, North Paravur Tahsildar PR Sangeeth dismissed these claims, insisting Shiji was one of their most efficient officers. “He was one of the best performing BLOs. Reports of around 120 forms he submitted were returned is wrong. His works were in the final stage only and he has never complained about anything,” Sangeeth said.

The Vadakkekara police have registered a case of unnatural death but remain unclear on the motive as no suicide note was found. “Even the principal could not understand what exactly his final message to her meant, but since she knows his family history, she immediately sent college staff to check. We have not received any leads to say that BLO duty workload made him take the extreme step. We will have to take his relatives’ statements. Further investigation is underway,” a police officer said. After the post-mortem examination, the body was cremated on Friday evening.