23-year-old NEET aspirant from Delhi found dead in bushes in Rajasthan's Kota, suicide suspected
This is the second case of alleged suicide by a NEET aspirant within 48 hours in the coaching hub and the twelfth since January.
The body of a 23-year-old NEET aspirant from Delhi was found near a railway track in Rajasthan's Kota early Thursday morning, according to police. This marks the second suspected suicide by a NEET aspirant in the city within just 48 hours, and the twelfth such case reported since January in the prominent coaching hub.
Citing an initial investigation, police said the student committed suicide by consuming poison. They said no suicide note was found at the spot in the Landmark City area.
Body was retrieved from the bushes
Inspector Arvind Bhardwaj said the body of Roshan Sharma, a resident of Tughlakabad in Delhi, was retrieved from the bushes. The body was spotted by some passersby who informed police.
Police used the student's mobile phone to reach out to his parents, an officer said. The parents last spoke to Sharma on Wednesday night. According to the family members, Sharma told them that he would neither take the NEET exam nor return to Delhi and would consume poison to end his life, the officer said.
He was scheduled to take the NEET examination next month.
Sharma's parents informed the police that he had been living in a hostel located in Corol Park, within the Borekhda area, approximately 10 km from the location where his body was discovered.
They also mentioned that they had recently visited Kota in an effort to bring him back home. However, Sharma refused to leave, following which, they took away his clothes and belongings.
According to police, his body has been placed in the mortuary of MBS Hospital in Kota. The post-mortem will be conducted once his parents arrive from Delhi.
18-year-old died by suicide
On Tuesday, an 18-year-old boy from Chhapra in Bihar allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his hostel room early Tuesday. As per the police, the deceased was found hanging in his hostel room in the Kunhadi area. The student had been preparing in Kota for the last one year and his exam was scheduled in a few days, they added.
According to police, the student left behind a suicide note requesting that neither his name, photo, nor any details about his family be shared in the media. "I am taking this step. It's no one's fault. This is not because of the NEET exam," the note reportedly read.
Kota: A hub for medical, engineering aspirants
Kota has firmly established itself as the epicenter of India's booming test-prep industry, which is valued at an estimated Rs 10,000 crore annually, as per district administration officials. Every year, thousands of students from across the country flock to this coaching hub after completing Class X, aspiring to crack competitive exams. They enroll in residential coaching institutes that dominate the city's landscape, immersing themselves in rigorous preparation. Alongside, most students also register in local schools—primarily to fulfill certification requirements -- while their main focus remains on coaching classes that promise a gateway to prestigious institutions.
(With PTI inputs)
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