Landmark City flat in Kunhadi area where student was found; police probe ongoing
KOTA — A 20-year-old NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh was found dead in a rented apartment in Landmark City on Tuesday night, the police said on Wednesday, bringing to eight the number of reported suicides involving coaching students in Kota so far this year.
The deceased has been identified in police records as Khooshbu Patel. According to the Kunhadi police station, Khooshbu was discovered by her younger sister after the sibling returned from classes in the Jawahar Nagar area at about 9 pm. The door to the flat was locked from the inside and, when there was no response to knocking, a locksmith was summoned. Authorities said Khooshbu was found hanging from a ceiling fan and was taken to hospital where doctors declared her brought dead.
"No suicide note was recovered and the exact circumstances are being examined," the police said.
Investigation and immediate findings
Police said the family told investigators that Khooshbu had been preparing for NEET-UG for the second time and was reportedly upset about scoring around 450 marks in her previous attempt. The Kunhadi police have begun inquiries and are examining the sequence of events. Preliminary reports state that no suicide note was found at the scene.
Officials also noted that the ceiling fan at the rented apartment did not have an anti-hanging device fitted. Anti-hanging devices in hostel rooms and student accommodations have been prescribed in Kota by local authorities as a preventive measure, particularly after previous incidents involving students residing in the city to prepare for competitive examinations.
Context: mounting pressure in Kota's coaching ecosystem
Kota, Rajasthan's largest education hub, draws tens of thousands of aspirants each year for preparation of national and state-level entrance examinations. The city's coaching industry and related accommodation networks have long been the focus of public debate on student welfare, mental health support and regulatory oversight.
With this case, the count of reported deaths by suicide involving coaching students in Kota has reached 8 since January this year, police records and local reporting show. The recurrence of such incidents has renewed calls from parents, mental-health advocates and some sections of the coaching community for stronger safeguards, counselling services and enforcement of safety norms in hostels and rented rooms.
- Age of deceased: 20 years
- Location: Landmark City, under Kunhadi police station jurisdiction, Kota
- Reported concern: Distress over prior NEET score (around 450 marks)
Immediate consequences and local responses
Local police said enquiries will include checking the circumstances of the death, statements from family members and neighbours, and any digital records that may clarify the student's state of mind. The absence of a suicide note means investigators will look to other evidence, including mobile-phone data and interviews with classmates and acquaintances.
Past incidents in Kota have prompted municipal and district authorities to issue guidelines for student accommodation—ranging from the fitting of anti-hanging devices on ceiling fixtures to mandating counsellors at coaching institutes—but enforcement remains inconsistent across the sprawling hostels and privately rented flats that house the student population.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Reported student suicides in Kota (year to date) | 8 |
| Age of latest deceased | 20 years |
Mental-health specialists and parents who have previously engaged with the issue in Kota stress the need for sustained counselling, regulated living conditions and timely intervention by authorities. Coaching institutes and private landlords form a complex ecosystem that, critics say, needs clearer accountability mechanisms to prevent vulnerable students from falling through the gaps.
As police continue the probe, families of aspirants and local advocacy groups will be watching whether authorities take additional steps to strengthen safety measures in hostels and rented accommodations that shelter thousands of students each year.
This latest tragedy adds to the cloud over Kota's reputation as a coaching powerhouse, underscoring the human cost of intense academic competition and the challenges of protecting a transient, high-pressure student population in the desert city.
