Kerala’s General Education Minister, V. Sivankutty on Friday (February 14, 2025) ordered an enquiry into the suspected death by suicide of a Plus One student, Bensom Abraham, in Thiruvananthapuram district.
Benson was found dead at Vocational Higher Secondary School in Kuttichal in Kattakada police station limits early Friday (February 14, 2025).
Mr. Sivankutty has assigned Ubaid, the deputy director of the Vocational Higher Secondary (Curriculum) wing, to inquire into the circumstances that led to Benson’s death.
The Kattakada police have registered a case of unnatural death and investigations are under way.
Benson’s relatives reported him missing to the local police after he failed to return home from school on Thursday evening.
A subsequent police investigation revealed that Benson had not arrived at a local gym he regularly frequented after school hours.
On Monday, school staff discovered Benson dead in a room within the multi-storey building.
Benson’s relatives have alleged that the school clerk refused to sign the student’s project work record just before the model term examinations. The principal of VHSC, Preetha R. Babu, informed reporters that Benson had reported an alleged altercation with the clerk to her.
Subsequently, Ms. Babu stated that she had summoned Benson’s mother to the school. She indicated that the clerk did not respond to her questions and had requested casual leave via WhatsApp. Ms. Babu mentioned that the clerk had joined the school in 2023.
Meanwhile, local people mobbed the school premises, accusing the authorities of highhandedness and apathy towards students.
Activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Kerala Students Union (KSU) staged a sit-in protest at the school.
Suicide prevention helpline no. Disha: 1056 and 0471 – 2552056
