Ten-year-old Rahul, a class five student in Prem Nagar, outer Delhi, wanted to grow tall fast.
A TV advertisement of a popular health drink appeared to provide the answer.
With the Rs 70 that he had recently received as scholarship at school, Rahul went ahead and got himself a bottle of the health drink. But two days later, with no noticeable difference to his build, the young boy committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his room, reports Mid Day.
"Rahul used to say that after having this health drink he would soon grow in height. This time when he got his scholarship, he forced us to buy a bottle. He was taking the health drink for past the two days but on the third day we found him dead. He used to measure his height daily. We didn't have the slightest idea that he would commit suicide," said Gayatri, the deceased's mother.
Naresh Kumar, Rahul's father, said that the boy would mark his height daily against the walls of the house. It was his daily routine.
"I threw the bottle of health drink into the Yamuna. This thing killed my son. He had been taking it for two days and used to say that he would soon be as tall as his father. I had gone to Patel Nagar to meet my sister when my son committed suicide. My younger daughter Suman made the discovery. Had I known he would commit suicide, I would not have let Rahul buy that health drink," said Naresh.
Rahul lived in Prem Nagar area in outer Delhi along with his parents and three sisters. He was studying at a nearby MCD school. His father is employed with a private firm.
A police officer said that on September 4 Rahul was alone at his house when he allegedly committed suicide using his mother's chunni.
"Suman reached home around noon and found Rahul hanging from the ceiling. She started screaming in panic, hearing which the neighbours rushed in. They pulled the body down and informed the police. Rahul was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead," said a senior police officer.
The police said that they have taken the statement of Suman and the parents. The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Gandhi Hospital.
"Rahul's family members told us that he had bought a bottle of health drink because he wished to be taller. When that didn't work out, he killed himself," said a senior police officer.
