Pathanamthitta: A 16-year-old girl died by suicide at her residence in Kavumbhagam, Thiruvalla, allegedly following a dispute with her 21-year-old boyfriend over a break-up.

The Plus Two student had returned after writing her model examination on Thursday afternoon when the youth, identified as Javad, reportedly met her near Kavumbhagom Junction and told her that he wanted to end their relationship.

An argument broke out between them on the road, during which she allegedly smashed the mobile phone he had bought for her. After reaching home, she is said to have called him and told him that she was going to end her life.

At the time, only her ailing grandmother was present in the house. The girl went into the kitchen, tied a shawl and hanged herself. Javad rushed to the house after the call, entered the kitchen and found her hanging.

He cut the shawl, attempted to revive her by giving water and performing CPR, and carried her out seeking help. Neighbours, alerted by the commotion, arranged a vehicle to take her to the hospital. However, doctors declared her dead on arrival. Thiruvalla police registered a case of unnatural death, questioned the youth and later took him into preventive custody.

The body has been shifted to Kottayam Medical College for post-mortem examination. The girl had been staying with relatives in Kavumbhagom for the past two years for her higher secondary education. Her parents, daily wage labourers, live in Vaipur. She is survived by a younger brother who studies in Class 10.

Her aunt said the family was unaware of the seriousness of the relationship. “We had heard about the phone calls, but we did not know it was so serious. She was not someone who spoke much. She would talk only to those close to her,” she told Onmanorama.

“She was good at studies and had scored well in Plus One. Even now, she was preparing for her Plus Two model examinations. When she came home, she would focus only on her studies,” the aunt added. Funeral arrangements will be decided after the post-mortem.