Amidst disconcerting circumstances, four aspirants engaged in competitive examinations have mysteriously vanished from the educational hub of Kota in Rajasthan over the past week, leaving both parents and law enforcement in a state of bewilderment. While efforts have successfully located one of the students, an ongoing search persists for the remaining three. Sources indicate the disappearance of Piyush Kapasiya Gurjar (17), a native of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, since February 13.

Mahesh Kapasia, Piyush’s father, shared that his son, residing in the Jawahar Nagar police station vicinity of Kota city, last communicated with his mother on the aforementioned date. The family’s attempts to reach Piyush have proven futile as his mobile device remains switched off. Notably, Piyush’s disappearance coincided with the announcement of JEE Main examination results, wherein he secured a mere 13th percentile, as conveyed by his father, Mahesh Kapasia.

CCTV footage reveals Piyush’s last sighting at Kota Junction railway station, where he abandoned two bags before departing. Having arrived in Kota two years ago to prepare for the competitive JEE engineering examination, Piyush is now the subject of a missing person case, though law enforcement has yet to locate him.

This marks the fourth such incident in Kota within the past week, adding to the rising concern. On February 11, Rachit Sondhiya, a resident of Mahavir Nagar I, Kota, also went missing and is currently sought in Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve and Chambal River. Expressing dissatisfaction with the police search, Rachit’s father called for an intensified operation in the forested region to locate his son.

Protesting the lack of progress, Rachit’s family staged a demonstration outside the District Collectorate on Sunday. Jai Narayan Sondhia, the student’s father, threatened to block the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border in protest if the search for Rachit does not escalate. Rachit, originally from Beawar in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, remains unaccounted for.

Apart from Piyush and Rachit, two more students have gone missing from Kota. On February 17, Yuvraj Kumawat was reported missing from the Anantpura area, though the police successfully traced him. Another student, Aryan Singh, hailing from Bihar, is currently unaccounted for in Kota.