Lucknow: A prominent business family in Hardoi was plunged into grief after a 17-year-old boy and his mother died within hours of each other, in incidents that police are treating as a suicide followed by an apparent impulsive act driven by shock.Himanshu Gupta, a Class IX student at St Xavier’s School, and his mother Geeta Gupta were cremated on Wednesday afternoon at Mehndi Ghat, with relatives and local residents gathering to mourn the deaths.According to family members, Himanshu spent Tuesday normally and spoke with relatives before going to his room in the evening. Around 8 pm, Geeta went to call him and found him hanging from the ceiling, relatives said. Her screams alerted other family members, who rushed to the room.Moments later, before the family could process the situation, Geeta allegedly jumped from the second floor of the house. She died on the spot. Police said preliminary findings indicate she took the step after being devastated by her son’s death.What prompted the teenager to end his life remains unclear. Family members told police they had not observed any behavioural changes or signs of distress.Relatives said Himanshu’s father, property dealer Ram Prakash Gupta, had gifted him an iPhone worth about ₹1.5 lakh around a fortnight ago, and the boy had been excitedly showing it to friends and family.The deaths have revived memories of another suicide in the family. About 18 months ago, the couple’s elder son, Prince, died by suicide after shooting himself.Additional SP (East) Subodh Gautam said police are examining the circumstances and questioning family members and local residents. Evidence is being collected to determine what led to the deaths.