A tragic case of student suicide has emerged from Kota, Rajasthan, where a 19-year-old coaching student preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) was found hanging in his hostel room. This incident adds to the 17 cases of student suicides reported in Kota in 2024.
The student, identified as Neeraj, hailed from Mahendragarh, Haryana. According to Circle Inspector Budhram Jat, Neeraj was a Class 12 student enrolled in a Kota-based coaching institute for JEE preparation. He resided in a hostel in Rajeev Gandhi Nagar.
Police reported that the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan hook in his room late Tuesday evening. The incident came to light around 10:30 PM when the caretaker knocked on his door and received no response.
No suicide note was recovered from the room, and the reason behind this extreme step remains unknown. Inspector Jat stated that the postmortem process will begin after Neeraj's family arrives in Kota, and a case will be registered based on their report.
The parents of a coaching student from Haryana, who died by suicide in Kota, Rajasthan, have expressed suspicion of foul play. The deceased student's father revealed that his son had been preparing for JEE Mains at Allen Coaching Institute in Kota for the past two years.
Father Alleges Foul Play
The deceased's father revealed that Neeraj had been attending Allen Coaching Institute in Kota for the past two years to prepare for JEE Mains. He described his son as a diligent student who regularly attended classes.
Speaking to reporters outside the morgue, Neeraj's father said, "I spoke to my son on Tuesday around 3:30 PM. He was in a good mood and did not mention any problems."
Demanding a thorough investigation, the father claimed that his son could not have died by suicide and alleged that Neeraj was murdered. He suggested that his son was strangled and later hanged to stage the scene as a suicide.
The father also mentioned that Neeraj was supposed to return home on the evening of January 9 and had a reserved train ticket.
Kota Records 50% Drop in Student Suicides, Says DM
The Kota District Administration has stated that efforts to address mental health concerns among coaching students have resulted in a 50% reduction in suicides in 2024 compared to 2023. However, specific numbers were not disclosed.
Kota Collector Ravindra Goswami remarked on December 29, 2024, "Compared to last year, the suicide rate among coaching students has halved, which is a significant outcome of our initiatives. We hope this trend continues in the future."
Reports indicate that 17 student suicides were recorded in Kota in 2024, compared to 26 cases in 2023.
(With PTI inputs)
