'Happy Birthday Papa,' wrote Kota student in heartbreaking suicide note

In a heart-wrenching incident, an eighteen-year-old Manjot Chabra, a medical college aspirant, died by suicide on Thursday. 

Chabra, a native of Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur, was found dead inside his hostel room in Vigyan Nagar police station area, PTI quoted police as saying. Police said Chabra took his life on the intervening nights of Wednesday and Thursday. 

He had moved to Kota with dreams of becoming a doctor and was known among his friends for his determination and resilience. However, the pressure of competitive exams and the stress of achieving his dream seemed to have taken a toll on him. 

Friends recall him often saying he would be "next in line" during discussions about student suicides in Kota, a statement they now realize was a cry for help.

He even left a suicide note in which he showered birthday wishes for his father. In another note, the teen wrote "Sorry", and further mentioned that no one should be held responsible for this extreme step.

"I have done it of my own free will. So, please don't trouble my friends and parents," one of the notes read.

"Happy birthday Papa," another note, pasted on the wall, read.

The victim was a class 12 topper and had come to Kota along with three schoolmates from his town in April. The four friends lived in the same hostel in separate rooms. 

According to Chabra's friends, the boy was a brilliant student and had a fun-loving nature. He had scored 93 per cent marks in class 12 and was also doing well in routine tests at the coaching institute, PTI quoted Circle Officer (Vigyan Nagar) Dharmveer Singh as saying.

The ceiling fan in Chabra’s room was equipped with an “anti-suicide device”. To end his life, the teenage boy covered his head and face with a plastic bag and also tied a cloth around it.

Kota, often referred to as the 'coaching capital of India', has been in the news in recent years due to the alarming rate of student suicides. The city attracts thousands of students every year who come to prepare for various competitive exams. However, the intense competition and high expectations often lead to immense pressure on these young minds.

This is the 17th case of suspected suicide by a coaching student in Kota this year. In 2022, at least 15 cases of suicide by coaching students were registered in Kota.

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