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A 17-year-old district topper from Kanpur allegedly died by suicide just hours before his Class 12 physics pre-board exam. His body was recovered from near a railway yard.
Representative image for a crime spot (PTI)
A 17-year-old student who had once distinguished himself as the district topper in the 2023 Class 10 board examinations allegedly died by suicide on Monday, just hours before he was scheduled to take his Class 12 physics pre-board test, news agency PTI quoted the police as saying.
The student lived with his family in Saket Nagar and was enrolled at Brij Kishori Devi Memorial Inter College.
His sudden death has left his neighbourhood and school community reeling, as many remembered him as a bright and hardworking teenager with a promising academic future.
Raunak had achieved an impressive 97.4 per cent in his Class 10 board exams, a feat that earned him a full tuition waiver at his coaching institute.
Relatives and neighbours described him as a disciplined student who spent most of his time studying, deeply committed to maintaining the high academic standards he had set for himself.
According to the account given to the police by his father, Alok Pathak, who works at a private firm, the boy left home around 6:30 am on Monday.
He was expected to head for his pre-board examination preparations.
When efforts to reach him on his phone repeatedly failed, concern grew quickly within the family. His sister, along with his father, began searching for him in nearby areas, fearing something was amiss.
A few hours later, their worst fears came true. Police officials informed the family that the boy’s motorcycle had been located near the Juhi railway yard.
Soon after, his body was found lying beside the railway tracks, a discovery that left the family devastated and searching for answers.
Speaking to PTI, his father said, “I never imagined my only son would take such an extreme step. He was so bright.”
His grief was echoed by many others who knew the teenager, who had been seen as an inspiration to students in the area.
Government Railway Police (GRP) inspector Om Narayan Singh told PTI that the body had been sent for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death.
He added that investigators were still trying to understand what may have led Raunak to allegedly take his own life.
“The reason behind the suicide is unclear. We are examining his mobile phone and speaking to his friends,” the inspector was quoted as saying.
Further investigations into the case were ongoing.
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About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. December 02, 2025, 10:13 IST
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