JAIPUR: A NEET aspirant died by suicide in Rajasthan's Sikar district on Monday. The 22-year-old student was all set to take his third attempt in the NEET exam scheduled on June 21.
This is the second case of a NEET student dying by suicide in the district within the last month. This tragedy reflects the mounting mental health crisis among aspirants of competitive exams which has been gravely intensified after the recent NEET paper leak.
According to the police, the deceased student has been identified as Umesh Mali, a native of Nawalgarh in Jhunjhunu district. His father works as a tiles contractor in Mumbai. Umesh was living in a flat in the Udyog Nagar police station area of Sikar with his elder sister, younger brother, and mother while preparing for the NEET exam.
Udyog Nagar Station House Officer (SHO) Rajesh Kumar Budania stated that the incident occurred at a private residential complex in the area. Umesh Mali fashioned a noose using a chunni (scarf) in his flat and hung himself from the ceiling fan. The incident came to light when his sister and younger brother returned to the flat in the afternoon. A suicide note was recovered from the room during the investigation. In the note, Umesh wrote, "Sorry! I am going very far away; I don't know where I am going."
The note did not indicate any specific reason behind the incident. The police are currently working to ascertain the reason behind the student's suicide. The police have handed over the body to the family after conducting a post-mortem examination.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the pressure faced by competitive exam aspirants in Sikar. Prior to this, on May 15, Pradeep Mahich who was preparing for NEET while living in a rented accommodation on Piprali Road with his two sisters had also committed suicide by hanging himself with his sister's chunni(scalf). The investigation revealed that Pradeep was deeply distressed over the paper leak and subsequent cancellation of the NEET exam and took his own life due to this stress.
According to his family, Pradeep’s performance in the exam was excellent this time, and he expected to score around 650 marks. The family had funded Pradeep's NEET preparation by taking loans. They had even sold their land for their son's success, resulting in a total debt of ₹11 lakh on the family. Pradeep’s death had become the focus of national attention after NSUI president Vinod Jakhar facilitated an interaction between the bereaved family and Rahul Gandhi who assured them of full support.
The shocking suicide of Umesh Mali comes just ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Kota on June 17. The Congress leader is scheduled to participate in a programme focused on student suicides and the intensifying pressures faced by students in the country as paper leaks in competitive exams have become rampant in recent years.
(To overcome suicidal thoughts, contact state helpline 104 or Sneha suicide prevention helpline at 044- 24640050.)
