Alappuzha: The father of 16-year-old student Abhigeeth, who was found dead at the boarding facility of Jawahar Navodaya School in Chennithala, has questioned the circumstances leading to his son's death, saying he is struggling to understand what prompted the boy to take such a drastic step.

Abhigeeth, a native of Kayamkulam, was found hanging from an iron rod on the roof of Udayagiri House, the boarding area on the school premises, around 1.30 pm on Tuesday.

Speaking to Onmanorama, the boy's father, Biju K P, said he initially suspected foul play. "When I first saw him, I thought it was not suicide but murder because of the way his leg was placed," he said. However, he said the Sub-Inspector later showed him a suicide note written in his son's handwriting.

"I don't doubt that the note is written by him. But what I want to know now is why he took such a drastic decision," Biju said. According to him, Abhigeeth had spoken to him over the phone the previous night and sounded happy. "He called me the night before and spoke happily. What changed in those 12 hours? His friends also said that just minutes before the incident, he was talking to them normally," the father asked.

Biju also said he wished his son had reached out to him. "If he had just called me, like he did on February 6 to wish me on my birthday, maybe this wouldn't have happened," he said, adding that the police have assured him that they will conduct an inquiry into the circumstances leading to his son's death.

The Mannar police have registered a case under Section 194 (unnatural death) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and an investigation is underway.

When contacted by Onmanorama, school superintendent Sasidharan Pillai said he had given his statement to the principal and that an inquiry is currently underway. Onmanorama contacted him, but he was not reachable. 

The incident comes after another Class 10 student of the same school, Neha, had died by hanging in the school courtyard earlier. Police had then said no suspicious circumstances were found in that case.