Pathanamthitta (Kerala) | A 47-year-old man took his own life in a forest in this district after becoming upset that he could not arrange money for his son's engineering college admission, police said here on Monday.

The man, identified as V T Shijo, was found hanging in the Moongampara forest on Sunday evening.

His son had secured a place at an engineering college in Tamil Nadu, but the family was unable to pay the required fees.

Relatives said Shijo had been facing severe financial difficulties.

He had been expecting the 12 years' salary arrears due to his wife, an aided school teacher whose appointment was confirmed by a court earlier this year.

She had started receiving her salary since February this year, but there had allegedly been a delay by DEO officials in clearing the arrears for the past 12 years.

Police believe the family's financial struggles and the inability to fund the college admission led to the tragedy.

His body has been handed over to the relatives after a post-mortem examination, they said.