Two Students Die In Rajasthan's Kota, Police Say One A Suicide Case

Ajit Dhakad, a 16-year-old from Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, had arrived in Kota just six months ago to prepare for the Joint Entrance Examination for engineering. He died yesterday, the police claim by suicide. The death of a second student is under investigation.

On Sunday, Ajit did not show up for a scheduled test at his coaching center. Around 9 pm, when he failed to open his room door, the police were alerted.

According to the police, when they arrived at the student's residence, the door was locked from the inside.

His family had arranged a separate room for him in a 'paying guest' (PG) accommodation to facilitate his studies. 

Kishor Lal, a police officer stationed at the Jawahar Nagar police station in Kota, said: "We received the information at 9:30 pm. We broke open the door and rushed him to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His relatives informed us that he had a test at his coaching institute, but he did not attend it."

It appears the boy may have been suffering from depression, he said. "The exact cause of his death will be determined following an investigation," he said.

Ajit's uncle, Sitaram Dhakad, said, "He had taken a separate room in the hostel. Initially, he lived in a shared room, but later he requested a separate one. He was preparing for the JEE. A test was scheduled for 9 AM on Sunday, but he did not appear for it".

"Around 9 PM, we received a call from the hostel owner. He told us to come to Kota, saying that our child had died by suicide," he said.

They reached Kota around 2 am. 

Ajit's elder brother Divyansh is studying in Shivpuri. Their father had died earlier. 

"The night before the incident, Ajit had spoken to his mother and told her that everything was fine," he said.

Hours later, another student was found unconscious in his hostel bathroom in the Kunhadi area of Kota.

Gautam Kumar, 19, was originally from Bihar's Darbhanga and was preparing for the NEET medical entrance examination. 

He lived at the Shreeji Residency hostel in Landmark City. 

He was taken to MBS Hospital, where he died during treatment.
Family members have alleged negligence, stating that if Gautam had been taken to the hospital in time, his life might have been saved.

Akhilesh, a relative of Gautam, said, "We spoke to him the night before the incident. However, when he did not show up for breakfast or lunch at the hostel, no one took note of his absence. Later, a relative of ours, who also studies in Kota, went to check on him. Around 10 PM, he found Gautam lying unconscious in the bathroom of his hostel room."

He alleged, "The hostel staff did not look for him. The coaching institute also failed to inform anyone that he had not attended his classes. He was preparing for NEET; this was his second attempt, and he had been living here for a year and a half." Akhilesh said.

"This is a clear case of negligence. The boy remained in his room all day, yet no one made an effort to check on him. Why didn't the warden go to see him? Why did another relative of ours have to go there to discover him in this condition?" he said.

The family members have filed a police complaint regarding the alleged negligence of the hostel administration.

Kota Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devesh Bhardwaj said, "Gautam Kumar, a student from Darbhanga, was residing in the Landmark area and studying at the Allen coaching institute. The hostel owner and his friends took him to the hospital, where he passed away during treatment."

He added, "We are investigating the cause of death. The family has alleged negligence. We are looking into the matter and will take appropriate action based on the facts."

He further remarked, "We cannot definitively say that his movements were not known for 12 hours. We have received information that he had eaten his lunch. When people went to check on him in the evening, he was found unconscious in his room. At this stage, it is impossible to determine how long he had been in that state. The investigation is in progress."

The deaths of two students in a single day - one a case of suicide and the other currently under investigation - have shaken Kota, which is home to approximately 250,000 students at any given time. 

The city's coaching hub has already been grappling with a rising number of student suicides. Students here prepare for some of the country's most challenging entrance examinations, such as the IIT-JEE and NEET. This marks the 14th such incident recorded this year.