Kota: JEE aspirant dies in hostel room; suicide suspected

KOTA: A 17-year-old boy preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) in Kota was found hanging at his hostel room in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar here, with police suspecting he died by suicide, officials said on Thursday. According to officials, since ceiling fans at the hostel are equipped with anti-hanging mechanism, the teen hung himself by a noose tied to an iron angle on a wall in his room.

The reason behind the extreme step is yet to be ascertained, and no suicide note was found at the scene, they said. This marks the sixth instance of student suicide in Kota this year.

The deceased aspirant was identified as Aryan Ojha, a resident of Sant Kabir Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. He was preparing for the JEE at a coaching institute in Kota for around a year, and was living at the hostel in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar under Jawahar Nagar police station in the city.

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Student skips coaching class

The deceased teen did not attend coaching class on Wednesday and did not come out of his room; nor did he respond to calls from fellow students. This sparked suspicion among other boarders of the hostel.

After several knocks at his door went unanswered, other students broke into his room around 10.45 pm and found him hanging, Circle Inspector (CI), Jawahar Nagar police station, Ramlaxman said. The boy likely took the extreme step around noon and chose an iron angle to hang himself as the ceiling fan in the room was equipped with anti-hanging mechanism, the CI said. The teen was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, he said.

His family members, who reached the hospital to claim body after post-mortem on Thursday afternoon, avoided speaking to media and did not level any allegation in their statement to the police, officials said.

As per Supreme Court directions in regard to such cases, the police has registered a case under relevant sections and an investigation is underway, they added. The family members did not point out any reason behind the incident, nor levelled any allegation in their statement to police, the CI 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.