New Delhi: Missing for over a week, a UPSC aspirant from Rajasthan was found dead in mysterious circumstances as the police recovered his decomposed body hanging from a tree Friday in northwest Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar area.
Deepak Kumar Meena, who was last seen 11 September, hailed from Dausa. “His body was found in a wooded area near Dussehra Ground on Friday (20 September),” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Jitendra Kumar Meena had said.
Though the police suspect suicide, no suicide note was found near the body or at Deepak’s room in Mukherjee Nagar.
Deepak’s family alleges that it is a case of murder. “I don’t know on what basis the police are calling it a suicide. His legs were touching the ground, and there was a shirt on his shoulder. The coaching institute should be responsible for the aspirants’ safety and security, but they have failed,” a family member told ThePrint Wednesday.
Initially, Deepak had cleared the prelims in Jaipur, but he moved to Delhi for the UPSC mains preparation with coaching centre Drishti IAS. The 22-year-old arrived in the city in July.
Every day after studying, Deepak would call his family at 8 pm. His last call was on 10 September. “When he didn’t call on 11th and 12th of September, his phone was switched off on the 13th, his family came to Delhi to find him,” a police officer said.
The family reached his PG accommodation, where Deepak’s roommate mentioned that he had not been seen since 11 a.m. on 11 September. A missing person report was filed at the Mukherjee Nagar Police Station.
On Tuesday evening, UPSC aspirants organised a candlelight march for Deepak Meena in Mukherjee Nagar. They have also taken to social media, using ‘#JusticeForDeepakMeena’ to demand justice for their fellow civil service aspirant.
“His body was found in a very bad condition. The police are saying it is suicide, but why would he do that? His friends say he was a cheerful youth, who never seemed stressed. The coaching institute also hasn’t reached out to the family yet,” said an aspirant who participated in the candlelight march.
Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) leader Chandrashekhar Azad joined the chorus demanding justice for the Rajasthan native.
“The incident is very sad. I pay my humble respects. My condolences are with the family. May they have the strength to bear the mountain of sorrow that has fallen on them. I demand a thorough investigation into the matter and strict action against those responsible,” Azad posted on social media platform ‘X’.
Before Tuesday’s candle march, Drishti IAS released a press statement asserting that as soon as it learned of Deepak’s disappearance, officials informed the family and actively assisted in the investigation by providing CCTV footage from the library.
“Deepak Kumar Meena never reported any form of stress or pressure to his mentors. According to his mentors and friends, he was a quiet and introverted student, and the likelihood of any disputes or conflicts with others was minimal,” the coaching institute said.
“The final hope was that Deepak would appear at his examination centre for the Main Examination starting 20 September. However, he did not show up. Based on his phone’s last known location, his body was later found in the bushes near the Delhi University hostel,” the press release added.
(If you are feeling suicidal or depressed, please call a helpline number in your state)
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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