A student at a high school in Suma Ward, Kobe, was arrested Sept. 17 on suspicion of trying to extort money from a classmate who committed suicide, police said.

According to sources close to the investigation, the 17-year-old suspect, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, has told police he and some other students made the suicide victim promise to pay each of them ¥10,000 "whenever he told a lie."

The victim jumped from the fourth floor of the school July 3 and died. A note he left behind said he had some debts he had to pay off when the summer vacation ended.