Kota, Feb 11 : Yet another NEET aspirant has died by suicide in Kota, raising the city's student suicide toll to seven this year.

The deceased, identified as 18-year-old Ankush Meena, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his PG accommodation in the Pratap Nagar area of Dadabari locality. A resident of Sawai Madhopur, Ankush had been living in Kota for the past two years while preparing for the NEET medical entrance exam.

The incident came to light when the PG owner, suspicious after Ankush failed to respond to repeated knocks, broke open the door and found him hanging. Police officials said the exact reason behind the suicide remains unclear, and investigations are underway to determine whether academic pressure or personal issues played a role.

Ankush's family has been informed, and his body has been sent to the MBS Hospital mortuary. The postmortem will be conducted after their arrival, police said.

Dadabari Police Station Circle Inspector Mangelal Yadav confirmed that they received a call about the suicide around 9 a.m. Preliminary findings suggest Ankush may have taken the extreme step due to personal reasons. According to police, he had spoken to his father on the phone earlier that morning before ending his life.

He had moved into his current residence just two months ago, while his cousin lived nearby. It was this cousin who first discovered the incident and alerted the landlord, who then informed the police.

Landlord Yogesh Bansal stated that Ankush had initially stayed in a nearby PG but recently shifted here, seeking a quieter place during exams. He clarified that the room was rented to Ankush and his friend on request and was not part of an official PG setup.

Kota, a major coaching hub, has been grappling with a worrying rise in student suicides. This year alone, six such cases had already been reported before Ankush's death.

Just last month, on January 21, a student from Assam's Nagaon died by suicide. Merely hours before that, a young woman from Ahmedabad, who had come to Kota to prepare for NEET, was also found hanging in her hostel room in Jawahar Nagar.

Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar has urged parents not to pressure their children into pursuing careers against their will. In 2023, at least 23 students died by suicide in Kota, while 17 such deaths were reported in 2022.

/IANS