'I quit, can't crack JEE': 16-year-old aspirant tells father before killing self in Kota

KOTA: "Can't crack JEE. Sorry, I quit" were the last words of a 16-year-old JEE aspirant to his father before he killed himself by allegedly consuming poison in his paying guest here, police said on Friday. The body of Abhishek Mandal, a resident of Bhagalpur in Bihar, was found on Friday morning.

It is suspected that he died late Thursday night, Circle Officer DSP Dharmveer Singh said. The police team also found a suicide note addressing his father where the boy had expressed his incapability to crack the JEE, he said. "Papa Mere se JEE Nahi Ho Payega, Sorry, I quit. (Papa I will not be able to crack JEE. Sorry, I quit)," said the suicide note recovered from his room, the officer said.

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The matter came to light after his parents raised an alarm as he was not responding to their repeated phone calls. They asked the paying guest caretaker to check on their son, the CO said. On Friday morning, when the caretaker peeped through the window of Mandal's room, he found him lying unconscious, he said. Abhishek was then rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, he added. It is suspected Mandal died after consuming Celphos, a poisonous substance. A vial of the drug was recovered from his room by the police team, the CO said.

According to the records from the coaching institute Mandal had been studying in for a year, he was supposed to take the JEE Session-1 exam on January 29 but he did not appear for it, the DSP said. The police have placed the body in a mortuary and a post-mortem will be conducted after the arrival of his parents from Bihar, he said. This is the fifth case of suicide by a coaching student in Kota since January. The number of student suicides in Kota stood at 26 in 2023.

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.