Berhampur, Nov. 21: A 17-year-old Plus Two student allegedly committed suicide on Thursday because his mother could not give him Rs 680 to fill up the examination form.

Srikant Jena, a student of second year science at People's College in Balipadar was a resident of Tala Sakara village under Kholakhali panchayat limits of Ganjam district. His family members cremated the body on the evening of the same day without informing the police.

"Srikant asked me to give him Rs 680 on Thursday morning so that he could fill up the examination form. I did not have the money then. I went out to arrange the money and sent the amount to the college through one of his friends. But in the afternoon, when I reached home, I saw his body hanging from the ceiling," said Rajani Jena, Srikant's mother, who works as a labourer to support her family. Her husband had abandoned the family 12 years ago.

"Srikant secured first division by securing 475 marks (79 per cent) in Matriculation. He was very serious about studies," said Siba Prasad Satpathy, principal of People's College.

Ranjan Kumar Dey, the inspector in charge of Buguda police station, said they did not know of any suicide.

A Class VII student, Jayanti Nayak, 12, had committed suicide in June last year after her mother failed to give her Rs 10 to buy stationery. She set herself on fire at her Jokabandha Sahi home in Aska of Ganjam district. Nursing student Sunita Raita, 21, of Dipti Nagar in Gajapati district had killed herself August 13 last year after she failed to deposit her course fees on time.