JAIPUR: Two coaching centre students have died in separate incidents in Kota, popularly known as the country’s coaching capital. The police suspect suicide in the case of a 16-year-old JEE aspirant while investigating the unexplained death of a 19-year-old NEET aspirant.
The family of the deceased have questioned the monitoring practices of coaching institutes and accommodation providers, alleging that they were not informed about the students’ absences.
The 16-year-old JEE aspirant, who hailed from Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, was found dead in his room at a paying guest accommodation in Mahavir Nagar First, DSP Police Manish Sharma said. He had moved to Kota six months ago to prepare for the entrance exam.
Other students told police that they usually went for a walk after dinner, but the teenager did not join them. They repeatedly knocked on his door and informed the PG operator when he failed to respond. Police took the body to the MBS hospital mortuary. It was handed over to his family after a post-mortem examination, following their arrival from Shivpuri.
The family said during a telephonic conversation with this newspaper he had mentioned an examination, but they later learnt that he had not appeared for it. They said the coaching institute had not informed them about his absence.
In the second incident, a 19-year-old NEET aspirant who had been living in Kota for two years was found unconscious in the bathroom of his hostel room in the Kunhari police station area.
DSP Devesh Bhardwaj said fellow students told police that the student had taken food to his room and had not come out afterwards. When repeated attempts to get a response from inside failed, the door was broken open. He was taken to MBS hospital, where he died during treatment.
Having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need support? Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (24x7) or call, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline number- 02225521111, (Monday-Saturday-8 am-10 pm)