Kota coaching centre authorities booked for abetment to suicide

The student’s roommate found the teenager’s body after breaking the door of their room, taking the number of student suicides in Kota to 16 this year

A day after a 17-year-old student from Uttar Pradesh died by suicide on Saturday in Rajasthan’s coaching hub of Kota, his brother lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the coaching centre where the teenager was enrolled to prepare for the engineering entrance exam, police said on Monday.

According to the FIR, the coaching centre suspended the teenager on July 3. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The student’s roommate found the teenager’s body after breaking the door of their room, taking the number of student suicides in Kota to 16 this year.

According to the FIR, the coaching centre suspended the teenager on July 3 after he fought with one of his classmates. “My brother was depressed after his suspension. He told me that he feels that he might not be able to cope with further studies if the coaching centre does not withdraw his suspension,” said the teenager’s brother.

He added the teenager was suspended over a petty issue. “I visited the centre two days after the suspension and urged the withdrawal of the suspension. ...they made the suspension permanent but my brother could avail of the online sessions. My brother was wary of studying online as the students do not get a lot of facilities there. I spoke to the coaching centre and his friends also. But none helped. The coaching centre did not agree to withdraw the suspension.”

The coaching centre said the student was suspended for a certain period and that action had to be taken as he not only fought but was also aggressive and misbehaved with the centre’s staff. It said his brother visited the centre and said that he wants to get him sibling transferred. The centre said it initiated a refund of his admission fees.

Paramjeet Singh, a local police officer, said a case has been filed under Indian Penal Code’s Section 306 (abetment to suicide) against the centre. “We will further investigate the matter.”

At least 121 students have died by suicide in Kota since 2011, prompting the Rajasthan government to propose a bill to regulate coaching institutions.