IIT Aspirant Found Dead in Kota Forest, 6th Student Death This Year

A 16-year-old IIT aspirant, missing since February 11, was found dead in a dense forest near Kota on Monday evening. This marks the sixth student death in Kota, a city known for its competitive exam coaching centers, this year.

Kota SP Amrita Duhan stated that after a thorough nine-day search, the body of an aspirant from Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh was discovered wedged between two trees on a rock in the dense forest vicinity near the Garadiya Mahadev temple around 9 pm, TOI reported.

The CCTV footage last recorded his disappearance into the forests on February 11. Authorities suspect it to be a case of suicide, marking the sixth student suicide in Kota this year, with another teenager aspiring to crack JEE still missing for the past eight days. Of the deceased, two were pursuing BTech degrees, while the remaining four were students undergoing coaching for engineering and medical entrance exams.

In response, police launched an extensive search operation, involving personnel from the state disaster response force, sniffer dogs, and even drones. Investigation revealed CCTV footage of the teenager hiring a cab and entering the Garadiya Mahadev temple forest, though he was not observed exiting. Subsequently, on the night of February 12, the teenager's bag, mobile phone, power bank, room key, and various belongings were discovered approximately 200 meters away from the temple.

A week later, a large-scale search effort, comprising 60-70 police officers, Kota civic body officials, and 40-50 family members of the teenager, managed to locate his body approximately 1.5 kilometers downhill from the location where his belongings were discovered, according to police sources. SP Duhan mentioned that special teams had been established, and search operations were escalated to locate the other missing student from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.

According to a report of TOI, He had also left the hostel to appear for a test on Feb 13 and didn't return, nor responded to calls from parents, following which his family reached Kota and approached police. According to his family members, the boy had been studying in Kota for two years and had scored a low percentile in JEE this year. The CCTV footage spotted him last at Kota railway station with a bag in his hand.