A 17-year-old volleyball player was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Tuesday morning in the hostel of the Amitabh Bachchan Sports Complex (Mayo Hall), located under the Colonelganj police station area of Prayagraj.
The deceased, identified as Pratyush Rai from Ghazipur, was discovered lying on the floor of his room. His postmortem report has confirmed the cause of death as poisoning.
Police have preserved the viscera for further analysis and seized Pratyush’s mobile phone as part of the investigation. The mysterious death of the young athlete inside the hostel has raised several questions.
According to reports, Pratyush had been staying at the hostel for nearly four years while receiving volleyball training. His roommate, Rishabh, had been away at his village for the past few days. On Monday night, Pratyush reportedly had dinner at the hostel mess and went to sleep around 9 pm.
When teammates arrived at his room around 5.30 am on Tuesday to wake him for training, they found him lying unconscious on the floor. He was immediately taken to Beli Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Coach Veer Singh and other players said Pratyush had shown no signs of physical or mental distress and had behaved normally the day before. A disciplined and promising player, Pratyush had returned with the team from a tournament in Hyderabad on February 3 and had even posted a photograph with the winning trophy on social media. He had showcased his talent at the Rajasthan National Championship and was preparing for the Junior Asia Cup scheduled for June–July this year. The coach added that Pratyush had returned to the hostel only two days earlier, on February 7, after attending his cousin’s wedding in his village.
{{/usCountry}}Coach Veer Singh and other players said Pratyush had shown no signs of physical or mental distress and had behaved normally the day before. A disciplined and promising player, Pratyush had returned with the team from a tournament in Hyderabad on February 3 and had even posted a photograph with the winning trophy on social media. He had showcased his talent at the Rajasthan National Championship and was preparing for the Junior Asia Cup scheduled for June–July this year. The coach added that Pratyush had returned to the hostel only two days earlier, on February 7, after attending his cousin’s wedding in his village.
{{/usCountry}}At the postmortem house, family members expressed deep suspicion over the circumstances of his death. They alleged that conflicting information had been given by hostel authorities, who claimed the room door was open and that no suspicious object or person had been spotted near his room. The family also stated that Pratyush was expected to join the UP Police within two months, further intensifying their concerns. They have demanded a thorough and impartial probe.
DCP (City) Manish Shandilya said the matter is under investigation. Statements from the hostel coach and players will be recorded, and Pratyush’s mobile phone is being examined. No formal complaint has been lodged by the family so far, he added.