Pune: NDA Cadet from Lucknow Dies, Family Demands Clarity on Circumstances

Lucknow/Pune, 13th October 2025: Just two days before his untimely death, 18-year-old National Defence Academy (NDA) cadet Antriksh Kumar Singh was eagerly planning to return home to Lucknow for Diwali. He had coordinated with his mother, Seema Singh, to book air tickets for himself and a course mate, looking forward to celebrating the festival with his family.

Tragically, on the morning of October 10, Antriksh was found hanging in his cabin at the Charlie Squadron of the NDA in Khadakwasla. Authorities are treating the case as a suspected suicide, leaving his family in shock and searching for answers.

Seema recounted her final conversation with her son to the media: “He called around 5 pm on October 9 and asked about my well-being. He said, ‘Maa, tum theek ho? Apna khayal rakhana, baad mein baat karta hu.’ His voice was completely normal, with no hint of distress,” she said.

The previous day, October 8, Antriksh had spoken at length with Seema and his younger brother, Abhinav, expressing excitement about the upcoming Diwali break and urging his mother to book tickets early to avoid price surges.

On the evening before his death, Antriksh had participated as the lead singer in a practice session for an NDA event. A video from the session, shared with the media, shows him appearing cheerful and full of energy. “Can anyone believe that such a lively boy would take his life just hours later?” Seema said, her voice heavy with grief.

Seema has also raised concerns about the NDA’s handling of the incident, requesting access to CCTV footage to understand her son’s movements in the hours leading up to his death. Weeks earlier, Antriksh had considered leaving the academy, but continued his training after his mother’s intervention.

“Everything was fine until he called his mother recently and said that some seniors were troubling him. His mother and grandmother even visited the NDA before Navratri to report the matter. The officials assured us they would take necessary action,” said A.P. Singh, the cadet’s maternal uncle.

Antriksh, a topper at Army Public School on Sardar Patel Marg, Lucknow, excelled in both academics and sports. He had cleared the rigorous selection process conducted by the Service Selection Board (SSB) and joined the NDA in July as a first-term cadet in Charlie Squadron, part of the 154th course. His father, Ravi Pratap Singh, served 26 years in the Army Service Corps and currently works in the Defence Security Corps near Guwahati.

On October 12, Antriksh’s body was brought home to his ancestral village, Narayanpura, in Bahraich’s Nanpara area. Draped in the tricolor, he was cremated according to Hindu rites, with military officials accompanying the family. The family, residing in Haridash Residency under PGI police limits in Lucknow, continues to mourn the loss of their vibrant son while seeking clarity about the circumstances surrounding his death.