Daijiworld Media Network – Kota

Kota, Apr 26: In a heart-wrenching tragedy in Kota, a hub for competitive exam coaching, a 19-year-old NEET aspirant, Roshan Sharma, was found dead near a railway track on Thursday, just days ahead of the crucial NEET-UG exam scheduled for May 4.

Roshan’s distraught father, Ranjit Sharma, a carpenter from Delhi’s Tughlakabad, broke down outside the mortuary as he waited to claim his son’s body. Sharma revealed that he and his wife had visited Kota just days earlier to bring Roshan home, but he had refused to leave, saying he needed more time.

"He was a bright student, consistently scoring 550–600 marks in routine tests," said Ranjit Sharma, still struggling to understand what pushed his son to take the extreme step. According to the family, Roshan had recently confided in his sister that he needed another year of preparation to be fully ready for the prestigious exam.

Roshan, who had shifted coaching institutes during his three-year preparation journey, had abruptly informed his parents that he neither wished to sit for the exam this year nor return home. The devastated parents left Kota with his belongings, hoping he would follow. Instead, tragedy struck.

Police said preliminary investigations suggest Roshan consumed a poisonous substance. His body was handed over to the family after post-mortem on Friday, and a case has been lodged under BNSS Section 194 for further investigation. No allegations have been made by the family, police confirmed.

This is the 12th case of suspected student suicide in Kota this year alone. Last year, the city reported 17 such deaths, spotlighting the immense pressure faced by students aspiring for competitive exams.

Just 48 hours earlier, another 18-year-old NEET aspirant from Bihar had allegedly taken his life in a similar incident. Authorities and mental health experts continue to raise alarms over the mounting stress levels among coaching students in the city.