A Class XI student of DAV Kapil Dev Public School, Ranchi, who was reportedly among CBSE Class X achievers last year, killed herself on Saturday curiously over poor academic performance.
Archana Gorai (18) slashed her left wrist and hanged herself from a ceiling fan at their rented home in Harmu housing colony under Argora thana area. No suicide note was found, but police are not suspecting any foul play as of now even though they plan to quiz family members.
Local residents said the Gorais were originally from Purulia district in Bengal. In 2014, the family migrated to Ranchi in search of livelihood. Archana's father Lalmohan Gorai opened a modest eatery in Ashoknagar and the family of five rented the quarters of a retired CID officer in Harmu housing colony.
According to landlord and former ASP Rampati Ram, the 18-year-old was a humble, friendly and smart girl. "She had scored well in her Class X exams last year and her name had been published in newspapers. I don't know what prompted her death wish," the 75-year-old former cop said.
Ram added that Lalmohan was a poor, but hardworking man who had struggled to ensure proper education for all his three daughters. Archana's eldest sister Lata got married in January this year while older Geeta works at a beauty parlour to help their father.
The two sisters and brother-in-law Soma Gorai were among the first to spot the teen's body. "I had planned to take my wife (Lata) and sisters-in-law (Geeta and Archana) shopping last (Saturday) evening. My wife and I picked up Geeta from work and called Archana on her cellphone twice. She did not respond. We went to my in-laws and knocked on the door. There was no response," Soma told police.
The young man alerted neighbours and they peeped through a ventilator to find Archana hanging in her room around 7.30pm. While father Lalmohan was away at work, their mother too was assisting him at the eatery.
Brother-in-law Soma told police that Archana was showing symptoms of depression ever since her Class XI results were published recently. "Her marks were not up to her expectations. She was sad and hardly spoke to anyone," he said.
Argora thana OC Ratibhan Singh said the family had rushed the student to RIMS in Bariatu, but she was already dead. The hospital authorities informed police at 10.30pm.
"We have found a deep gash on the girl's left wrist and a mark of trauma around her neck. A post-mortem was conducted before the body was handed over to family members for last rites. We have registered a UD (unnatural death) case and forensic experts are at work," the officer said.
OC Singh added that prima facie it looked like a case of suicide because family members did not suspect otherwise. "However, they will be questioned further and the academic pressure angle verified."