Rajasthan: NEET aspirant preparing for his 3rd attempt dies by suicide in Sikar

June 16, 2026

Jaipur: Ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled visit to Kota on June 17 to launch a protest against a paper leak, a NEET aspirant was found dead in Rajasthan’s education hub of Sikar, highlighting the continuing mental health crisis among competitive exam candidates.

Twenty-two-year-old Umesh Mali, a NEET aspirant preparing for his third attempt at the medical entrance examination, was found hanging in his family’s flat in Sikar on Monday. Police recovered a suicide note from the scene and have launched an investigation.

Second reported suicide in Sikar

The incident marks the second reported suicide involving a NEET aspirant in Sikar within the last month. According to Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar Budania, Umesh, a resident of Kari village in Nawalgarh, was living in a private residential complex with his mother, elder sister and younger brother while preparing for the examination. Family members discovered him after returning home in the afternoon.

Following a post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to the family. Umesh’s father, Laxmanram Mali, works as a tiles contractor in Mumbai. The family owns the flat where Umesh had been staying for studies. The NEET re-examination is scheduled for June 21, and this would have been his third attempt.

Family members told police that Umesh had returned to Sikar on Monday morning after dropping his mother at their native village. His death comes barely a month after another NEET aspirant, 23-year-old Pradeep Mahich from Jhunjhunu district, died by suicide in Sikar.

Pradeep had been living in rented accommodation and preparing for NEET for the past three years. His family had said he was academically strong and expected to perform well in the examination but had been experiencing emotional distress in the days leading up to his death. Pradeep’s death had drawn national attention after NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar facilitated a conversation between the bereaved family and Rahul Gandhi.

The family later met Gandhi in New Delhi, where he expressed condolences and assured them of support. The latest tragedy comes just ahead of Gandhi’s visit to Kota on June 17.