Thrippunithura: Police have intensified the investigation into the death of a ninth-grade student who allegedly took his own life by jumping from an apartment building. Mihir Ahammed (15), a student of Thiruvaniyoor Global Public School, was found dead on January 15 after falling from his apartment.

According to his parents, Mihir’s death was the result of brutal ragging by his classmates. His mother had also posted about the incident on social media. Following Mihir’s death, an Instagram page titled ‘Justice for Mihir’ was created, allegedly by some of his friends. Conversations from this page provided crucial leads regarding the circumstances that led to Mihir’s death. The family also submitted screenshots of certain chats as part of their complaint. However, the Instagram page later disappeared.

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Efforts are underway to retrieve chat records from the deleted Instagram page. The police have sent a formal request to Instagram for access to this data, and further details are expected in the coming days. Authorities are also investigating who created the Instagram group.

Police are investigating the details revealed by Mihir’s mother. Statements have been recorded from Mihir’s mother, sister, and a domestic worker at their residence. The grieving family, deeply distressed by Mihir’s death, has moved to their ancestral home in Kozhikode and is unable to return to their apartment in Thrippunithura due to the emotional trauma, according to the police.

The police have also taken statements from the principal, class teacher, and several students of Global Public School, where Mihir was studying. The principal reportedly told the police that there was no indication of ragging and that Mihir appeared happy in the classroom. According to the principal, Mihir often slept on the bus ride home.

Additionally, the police have seized several mobile phones, including those belonging to some students, and are currently examining the data. Officials declined to provide further details at this stage.

Following Mihir’s death, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (Kerala Child Rights Commission) has taken suo motu cognisance of the case. The commission’s chairman, KV Manoj Kumar, confirmed their intervention.

Additionally, Education Minister V Sivankutty has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident. He has directed the Director of General Education to conduct a detailed inquiry and recommend necessary actions. The Minister also emphasised that all schools in the state function under a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Kerala Government, and every student studying in these institutions is considered a child of Kerala. He warned that if any school engages in activities detrimental to society, strict action will be taken, regardless of its educational board. He also stated that legal amendments would be considered if necessary to prevent such incidents in the future.

Meanwhile, the school authorities have assured full cooperation with the police investigation and have handed over CCTV footage along with the details of the complaint filed by Mihir’s parents.