This is an archive article published on September 6, 2024
Father blames NEET ‘scam’ as aspirant dies by suicide in Kota
This is the 15th case of suicide by a student in the coaching hub Kota this year since January. Twenty-six cases of death by suicide were reported in 2023.
The body was handed over to family members after post-mortem on Thursday noon and the police have lodged a case under section 194 of BNS in the matter.
A 21-year-old student preparing for NEET-UG exam in Kota allegedly died by suicide on Wednesday night. His body was first found by the hostel owner, who informed the police. The student, identified as Parshuram, was a resident of Barsana in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh.
This is the 15th case of suicide by a student in the coaching hub Kota this year since January. Twenty-six cases of death by suicide were reported in 2023.
His father, Khacharmal, held the NEET-2024 exam ‘scam’ responsible for the extreme step taken by the youth. However, he did not level any allegation in the report to the police in the matter. “The NEET exam agency and rich people, who manipulated the NEET exam, killed my son,” he said.
When state education minister Madan Dilawar was asked on Thursday about the rising number of students dying by suicide, he said, “Incidences like students’ suicide occur in proportion to the population of our state.”
Parshuram last spoke to his father on Wednesday around 1.15 pm and expressed his wish to return home. However, when the family later tried calling him back on his phone, they got no response. He allegedly committed suicide in the hostel room late at night.
“We never imagined in our dreams that this would happen to our son,” he added.
SHO of Jawahar Nagar police station, Hari Narayan said the police got information about the suicide around 11.30 pm on Wednesday when the hostel owner knocked on the youth’s room after he failed to notice him since evening. He immediately informed the police, which rushed to the spot with a forensics team, broke the door open, recovered the body and shifted it to the mortuary of MBS Hospital.
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“We did not recover any suicide note but we are investigating the matter,” the police officer said.
Khacharmal, a mason by profession, reached Kota on Thursday morning. While talking to the media, he said, “We got a call late on Wednesday night that my son was not feeling well. We were not told anything else initially. However, we were later informed that he had died by suicide. My son was outstanding in studies and scored marks that rewarded him a scholarship from a coaching institute in Kota. He had prepared for NEET in 2022 from Kota, in 2023 from Mathura and was now back in Kota. This was his second attempt. He had scored 647 marks in the first result this year, but in the revision results, his marks came down to 247, which left him heart-broken.”
The body was handed over to family members after post-mortem on Thursday noon and the police have lodged a case under section 194 of BNS in the matter. —With PTI
Parul Kulshrestha is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Rajasthan. A lawyer turned journalist, she brings a unique cross-disciplinary perspective to her reporting, blending legal precision with deep social inquiry to cover one of India's most culturally and politically vibrant regions.
Expertise and Experience
Legal-Journalistic Synergy: Parul’s transition from a legal background to mainstream journalism provides her with a distinct advantage in interpreting policy, legislation, and judicial impacts. This expertise allows her to "read between the lines" of government orders and court rulings affecting the public.
Diverse Beat: With years of experience across both mainstream newsrooms and independent journalism, she has built high-level authority in several critical areas:
Nomadic Tribes & Marginalized Communities: She is recognized for her sensitive and in-depth reporting on the struggles and rights of Rajasthan's nomadic populations, often giving a voice to those outside the traditional political spotlight.
Gender & Social Justice: Parul focuses on the intersection of law and gender, covering issues ranging from women’s safety and reproductive rights to the socio-economic empowerment of rural women.
Environmental & Political Reporting: She tracks Rajasthan’s complex political landscape—including electoral shifts and bureaucratic changes—alongside critical environmental concerns like water scarcity and land use.
Academic & Professional Pedigree: Her background as a lawyer, combined with her rise to the rank of Principal Correspondent at a national broadsheet, establishes her as a senior voice in the media landscape. ... Read More
