Kozhikode (Kerala): A Class 10 student who suffered severe head injuries in a clash between students near a private tuition centre in this district succumbed to his injuries early on Saturday, police said.

Muhammed Shahabas, 16, who had been undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, died around 1 am.

Five students have been taken into custody in connection with the incident, and murder charges were invoked against them. They were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, police said.

Shahabas was on ventilator support, according to hospital sources.

Police said that the preliminary postmortem report cited that the deceased suffered a severe skull fracture and brain injuries caused by the attack with a lethal weapon.

After the postmortem at Kozhikode Medical College, the body was brought to his ancestral home around 3 pm, where it was kept for public viewing before being buried at the Kedavoor Juma Masjid graveyard.

Hundreds, including friends and relatives, gathered to pay their last respects.

The altercation reportedly stemmed from a dispute during a farewell party at a tuition centre in Thamarassery on February 23. The argument escalated, leading to another altercation on Thursday.

General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Saturday directed the Director of General Education to initiate a departmental inquiry into the incident.

In a statement, the minister expressed condolences over the student's death.

"The police are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. Additionally, the Deputy Director of Education, Kozhikode, has submitted a preliminary report after an inquiry," he said.

Students from two local schools were involved in the incident, which took place on Vezhuppur Road, Thamarassery, at around 5 pm on 27 February.

On Thursday evening, around 15 students, including Shahabas, along with students from the tuition centre, confronted the other group, resulting in a violent clash, police said.

Initially, Shahabas did not appear to have suffered serious injuries and was taken to Thamarassery Taluk Hospital. However, after returning home, his condition worsened, and he was shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, where he remained in a coma.