Teen found dead on railway track after allegedly strangling friend in UP's Gorakhpur

A suspected murder-suicide case involving two school friends has emerged in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, with police suspecting that a Class 7 student strangled his 14-year-old friend before allegedly dying after being hit by a train.

The two teenagers, identified as 17-year-old Shyam Rajbhar and 14-year-old Shiva, were classmates at the same school in the Chauri Chaura area. Their deaths came to light over two consecutive days, with Shyam’s body found on a railway track on September 24 and Shiva’s decomposed body recovered from an abandoned room at a Jal Kal department premises the following day.

CCTV footage has emerged as a key part of the police investigation. According to police, the footage shows Shyam and Shiva entering the Jal Kal premises at around 1 pm on September 23. About an hour and 15 minutes later, Shyam was seen leaving the premises alone. Shiva was not seen coming out.

Police said Shyam was also seen cleaning his clothes while leaving the premises before returning home. The following day, his body was found near the railway track at Sathawa. Police said he died after being hit by an Intercity train.

On September 25, Shiva’s body was recovered from an abandoned room on the Jal Kal premises after locals alerted police about a foul smell. His postmortem examination confirmed that he had been strangled, according to police.

Based on the CCTV footage and postmortem findings, police suspect that Shyam strangled Shiva and subsequently died by suicide by coming in front of a train. However, the motive behind the suspected murder remains unclear.

Shiva’s family has questioned the circumstances of his death and demanded a detailed investigation. His mother Meena said she believed her son had been killed as part of a conspiracy and sought clarity on what happened to him.

Shiva’s father Kamlesh Rajbhar, who works as a painter, said he had no known enmity with anyone.

Shyam’s father Ravindra Rajbhar also expressed disbelief over the police theory, saying the two boys were close friends and were often seen together. He questioned how his son could have killed Shiva on his own.

SP North Rajesh Ghunawat said CCTV footage and the postmortem report indicated Shyam’s involvement in Shiva’s strangulation. He said Shyam died after being hit by an Intercity train the following day.

Police are now questioning the families, friends and other people who knew the two teenagers to determine what happened between them before the incident and establish the motive behind the suspected murder.- Endswith inputs from Gajendra Tripathi