Gifted King Edward VI Five Ways student took his own life
An incredibly gifted 17-year-old student who was found hanged in his garage had won awards and been accepted into university, an inquest heard.
Mani Dulay, who was born in Birmingham but lived on Thuree Road in Smethwick, was found dead by his father on March 8.
The talented sixth form student, who attended King Edward VI Five Ways, had won awards in Mathematics - being ranked in the top one per cent of the UK.
Smethwick Coroners Court heard how Mani had gone to school as usual and had helped friends sell raffle tickets for a play during the day as well as play ping pong.
But friends noted that he did seem 'subdued'.
Mr Baljinder Singh Dulay, Mani's father, had returned from work at 3.30pm after a business trip in Coventry and found Mani hanged in the garage.
Mr Dulay said Mani had never shown any indication of being unhappy and had no history of depression.
However, when police took away his computer they found that he had been researching ways to take his own life since December.
Mr Dulay said: "He was a quiet type of guy but very open and popular with his group of friends.
"He was a very smart straight A student who had been accepted into University College London to study there for five years.
"He had won awards in Mathematics in the top one per cent of the UK and had entered into another exam for Europe.
"He loved maths and physics and was incredibly gifted.
"He would play squash with me and enjoyed online gaming with friends.
"We had no problems with him whatsoever. He would not hurt a fly and was never a violent person.
"We feel that he did not know his own thinking to take his own life and it must have been a chemical imbalance to make him do this."
A statement from Pathologist Peter Acland determined the medical cause of death as hanging.
Concluding a verdict of suicide Senior Coroner Zafar Siddique said: "This is an absolutely tragic loss and I cannot comprehend what the family are going through at the minute.
"He was a brilliant young man."
