Lucknow: An award-winning 22-year-old innovator was found dead at a prominent hotel in Lucknow’s Vibhuti Khand on Tuesday.Rahul Singh checked into the hotel on Monday afternoon. When he did not come out of the room on Tuesday morning and failed to respond to repeated calls and knocks at the door from hotel staff, the management alerted the police.A police team broke open the door and found Rahul lying dead on the bed. Police said the cause of death would be known after the postmortem.ACP (Vibhuti Khand) Saumya Pandey said his family was informed and further action would follow based on the postmortem report. Rahul was a native of UP’s Maharajganj district. He was associated with the Design Innovation and Incubation Centre at Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur, where he was pursuing research.He earned national fame six years ago for developing a battery-operated tractor that could run without diesel or petrol, and described it as emission-free and nearly silent. The prototype could plough about an acre land in three hours and reach speed of up to 70 kmph. He also built small drones.The prototype included power steering, headlights, indicators and a gearless transmission system, with the battery housed under the bonnet and cooled by four fans. The tractor weighed about 150kg.Rahul had demonstrated exceptional scientific talent from an early age, securing first place at the India International Science Festival (IISF) for three consecutive years, beginning at the age of 13. His other innovations included a roti maker in 2018 and a battery-powered eco-friendly bicycle in 2019, which he showcased at the India International Science Festival.
