Bhubaneswar, Feb 20 : In a tragic incident, a Class X student was found hanging in the washroom of his hostel in Odisha's Balangir district, just a few hours before the commencement of the state board examination on Tuesday.

The deceased was a student of Viswatma Vidyamandir in the Kamakshi Nagar area under the Sadar police station limits.

The minor student's roommates spotted his body hanging from the ceiling of the washroom. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him dead. The student reportedly committed suicide due the pressure of board examination.

'The board examination is starting from today and the minor studying in Class X was supposed to appear for the exam. The deceased was a very good student and we still cannot comprehend why he took such a step. He could have taken the step due to the pressure of studies, but the school never put any pressure on him,' said the hostel superintendent.

'We have launched a probe into the matter after registering a case on the basis of a complaint lodged by the deceased's family members, who suspect that the minor was murdered,' said Rajkumar Biswal, IIC of Sadar police station.

The annual High School Certificate (HSC) or Matriculation examination conducted by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) commenced on Tuesday. More than 5.51 lakh students are appearing for the board exams that will continue till March 4.

/IANS