Delhi NEET Aspirant Found Dead in Kota, Suspected Suicide After Skipping Exam

A 23-year-old NEET aspirant, Roshan Sharma, was found dead near a railway track in Kota, Rajasthan, on Thursday. Police suspect he consumed a poisonous substance. His body was discovered just three days after his parents returned to Delhi without him. Roshan, who had been preparing for the NEET-UG exam for three years, told his family he wasn’t ready to take the May 4 exam and wanted another year to prepare.

Roshan’s father, Ranjit Sharma, a carpenter from Delhi’s Tughlakabad, said his son was studious, scoring 550-600 marks in coaching institute tests. Ranjit and his wife visited Kota on April 22 to bring Roshan home, but he refused to leave or take the exam. When they couldn’t find him at his hostel, they called him, but he insisted on staying in Kota. Roshan also told his sister he needed more time to prepare for NEET.

The police handed over Roshan’s body to his family on Friday after a post-mortem. They have registered a case under BNSS Section 194 (A) to investigate the suicide. The family has not made any allegations.

This is the 12th suspected student suicide in Kota since January 2025. Last year, the city reported 17 such cases. Kota, known as India’s coaching hub, has faced criticism for high suicide rates among students due to intense academic pressure.