A 17-year-old student who had topped his district in the 2023 Class 10 board examinations, tragically ended his life just hours before his Class 12 physics pre-board exam.
The death of Raunak Pathak, a resident of Saket Nagar in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur, studied at Brij Kishori Devi Memorial Inter College. The incident has sent shockwaves through the neighbourhood.
Raunak had scored 97.4 per cent in his class 10 board exams, earning him a complete fee waiver at his coaching institute.
Raunak's father, Alok Pathak, who works at a private firm, told the police that his son had left home around 6:30 am on Monday but had not returned. When repeated calls went unanswered, his sister Mini and father began searching for him.
A few hours later, Raunak's motorcycle was found near the Juhi railway yard, where Raunak's body was discovered beside the tracks, officials said.
"I never imagined my only son would take such an extreme step. He was so bright," Raunak's devastated father said.
Government Railway Police (GRP) inspector Om Narayan Singh said the body of the deceased has been sent for a post-mortem. Police are examining his mobile phone and speaking to his friends as part of the ongoing investigation. The reason behind the suicide is unclear.
(With inputs from news agency PTI)