Jaipur: Three students committed suicide within 12 hours in Rajasthan’s Kota, which is regarded as the education and coaching hub of India.
Known for producing IITians, doctors and engineers, Kota has been in the news for the last few years because of the students’ suicides and depression they suffer.
In the recent suicide of three students, questions are being asked — who should be held responsible for these suicides? Were these students under depression due to the pressure of studies? Are their parents aware that they were not even going to their classes which a few students had told to the media.
Kota Superintendent of Police Kesar Singh told IANS, “Police teams are investigating the case. It is too early to say anything as investigation is on in the case. Post-mortem is being done and thereafter we shall make a thorough probe.”
Officials confirmed that all these three students, two from Bihar and one from Madhya Pradesh, who committed suicide on Monday were studying in Rajasthan’s largest institute ‘Allen’. The preliminary investigation revealed that these children were under the pressure of studies and were under depression.
Although it has not yet been revealed that for how many days the children were not going for their coaching classes, but according to the information received from their friends and hostels, the children were bunking classes and tests.
Meanwhile, the initial investigation said that the three students did not go to coaching. These two coaching students, named Ankush and Ujjawal, lived in Krishna Kunj PG Hostel but the owner was unaware that the students were bunking coaching.
Prince, the friend of Ankush, who committed suicide, lives in the hostel of the same area. They used to go to eat together in the morning. Prince said that at 11 a.m., he tried calling Ankush several times. “He didn’t take the call so I reached Ankush’s hostel with a friend. It was locked from inside. When I looked through the window, he was hanging. We informed the student living in the nearby room and also informed the hostel operator,” he said.
Both Ujjwal and Ankush were residents of Bihar. Both had their rooms on the second floor of the hostel in the Talwandi area. The rooms of both were adjacent. Both committed suicide on the same day. The question arising from this incident is whether it was planned suicide or not? Did the two talk to each other before the suicide? Both of them discussed with each other about their tension? Because the information about the suicide of both came after 11 o’clock. The mystery of these questions will be known only after the investigation, said police.
Ujjwal’s friend said that he was the only son in the family. He has lived in Kota since he was in Class 9. His sister is already taking her coaching here. She went to the hostel and knocked on his brother’s door. When the brother did not open the door, she informed the police and then his body was also found.
He said that Ujjwal was good at studies. Recently he had missed a coaching test. He told this to his father who scolded him. He wanted to go back home.
The third student Pranav Verma (17), preparing for medical studies, was living in Kota for the past two years. He used to live in the hostel located at Landmark City since April. He had dinner on Sunday evening and then took rice to his room. At around 9 p.m., he talked to his family on the phone. When another student living in the hostel came out to fetch water at 1.30 a.m., Pranav was lying unconscious in the gallery. He was rushed to a private hospital for treatment. The doctor checked him and declared him dead. Officials said that medicine to kill rats was found in Pranav’s room. At present, the police have sealed the room.
Over 20 days ago, two students preparing for IIT and NEET drowned in Kota. Thereafter, the administration had set a guideline for the coaching students. It was decided that the coaching institutes would keep an eye on the children. SMS will be sent to the parents of the students who are continuously absent. The administration and the police station will have to be informed. In these suicide cases, it was revealed that the coaching institute had not given any information about this to the families of the children.
A few months before the suicide of these three students, another student Abhishek had also committed suicide in Kota.
Dr. C.S. Sushil, Senior Professor Psychiatrist of Kota Medical College and former Superintendent of New Medical Hospital said, “Stress in studies is increasing. This is the biggest reason for suicide. They do not live with family and also feel stressed due to not getting family protection. It is very important to provide the means of entertainment along with studies.
(IANS)
