Kolkata: Soumya Sil, 14, a resident of Gitanagar in Boral and a class IX student at Gangapuri Siksha Sadan School, has been among the top three students in his school. Ever since he had enrolled in a private tuition a year ago, Soumya had not missed a single class, said tutor Santosh Roy.
In his Sonarpur residence, TOI came across an elaborate timetable that noted each hour of the day and how it is to be used in order to prepare for his examinations.
“He had the roll number 3. He wanted to become the topper in his class,” a neighbour said.
TOI also came across a number of equipment in Soumya’s bedroom, his tools which he used to repair small electronic items and even post the process on YouTube.
Roy told TOI he had never imagined that his young student’s promising career would end, literally at his doorstep, barely a few metres from his residence.
For Soumya’s parents, who had been making multiple sacrifices to ensure a good education for Soumya and his younger brother, a KG-II student, the tragedy is nothing short of an abrupt end to their dreams.
“His father Shankar and mother Madhu are from extremely humble backgrounds. Shankar runs a fruit shop. However, he also brought a toto to try and make some more money to support his family. Madhu, though a homemaker, took up the job of sewing bags to try and pool in some extra money for the family,” said a family member.
According to the Sil family members, Soumya had told his mother that he would return early. He had planned to take a nap as he had woken up early to listen to ‘Mahishasur Mardini’ and needed to rest so that he could study late into the night. He had specifically wanted to study even on Mahalaya as the tutorials would shut down for Durga Puja and there would be a break from studies.