'I can’t do JEE, I am a loser': Kota girl writes note to her parents, dies by suicide

NEW DELHI: An 18-year-old student preparing for JEE allegedly hanged herself at her home in this coaching hub on Monday, leaving behind a suicide note saying sorry to her parents and calling herself a “loser”. “Mummy, papa I can't do JEE. So I suicide,” the note scrawled in English said, according to police. She was to give the JEE test in a day or two. “I am loser. I am worst daughter. Sorry mummy papa. Yahi last option he,” the note found in Niharika Singh’s room added. This was the second suspected suicide in Kota in less than a week.

The suicide was reported on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his annual interaction with students preparing for their school board exams, asking them and their parents not to let competition get to them. Niharika lived at her family home in Shiv Vihar Colony in the city’s Borekheda police station area and was to take her JEE test on January 30 or 31, circle officer DSP Dharmveer Singh said. The suicide note suggested she was under the stress of studies and found herself unable to tackle the exam, the officer said.

The student was the eldest of three sisters. Her father is a security guard at a private bank in Kota, he said. The family hails from Akawdakhurd village in Jhalawar district and has been staying in the city for the last three years. Her cousin said Niharika was under severe stress over the upcoming JEE test. She had to repeat her 12th class exam because she got a low score, the relative told reporters outside the mortuary.

Also read NEET aspirant kills self in hostel room in Kota

However, according to him, she was good at studies and devoted seven or eight hours every day to them. Niharika's grandmother knocked at the door of her room around 10 am. When there was no response, she raised an alarm. The family found her hanging from the ventilation window above the door. Last year, 26 students allegedly committed suicide in Kota, where children come from across the country to prepare for competitive tests like the National Entrance Exam (JEE) for admission to top engineering colleges.

On January 23, 19-year-old Mohammed Zaid was found hanging in his hostel room in Kota. He had come to the city from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district a year back to prepare for the medical entrance exam NEET. No suicide note was found in that case. Niharika was found dead about an hour before the PM's “Pariksha pe Charcha” interaction in Delhi began.

Among other issues, the prime minister talked about instilling resilience among children to help them cope with pressure. Modi said competition acts as inspiration but it should be healthy. "Lot of parents keep giving examples of other children to their children. Parents should avoid doing these things," he said.

If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts or tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling 9820466726 or visiting AASRA’s official website or can call iCALL on 9152987821. Here are some more helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.