A 19-year-old NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh was found dead in her paying guest room in the Mukhani area here late Tuesday night. The girl, identified as Anjali Jatav, allegedly died by suicide.

Anjali had arrived in Haldwani on May 30 this year to prepare for NEET at a private coaching institute. She was staying in a PG near Khatu Shyam Temple and was attending demo classes. Her regular classes were scheduled to begin from June 29.

Police said the room was locked from inside when they reached the spot following a call from her friend. An unidentified young man had informed the friend that Anjali was not picking up her phone. When no response came, the friend alerted others. The window grill had to be cut to enter the room, where Anjali was found hanging from a dupatta.

She was rushed to Sushila Tiwari Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. No suicide note was recovered, but police found a diary in which she had written, “Ek ko chhod diya hai, doosre ko nahi chhodungi.”

The cryptic line has left investigators looking for more answers. Anjali’s family has been informed and is expected to reach Haldwani on Thursday, after which the postmortem will be conducted.

Anjali hailed from Manpura Kolaras in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh. Her father Raghubeer Jatav sent her to Haldwani following the success of her elder brother, who cleared NEET from the same coaching centre and is currently studying at AIIMS Bhopal.

SP City Manoj Katiyal said the girl’s mobile phone has been seized. Police are examining her call records, social media activity and Google search history. Efforts are also on to trace the youth who called her friend late Tuesday night.

The case has been registered at Mukhani police station. No complaint has been filed by the family yet. Police are waiting for their arrival before taking further steps.

This incident has once again drawn attention to the immense pressure faced by students preparing for competitive exams away from home. Coming to a new city, living alone in PGs, and dealing with the uncertainty of entrance tests often takes a heavy toll on young minds. Many students from smaller towns and rural areas move to coaching hubs like Haldwani, Kota or Delhi with big dreams, but the isolation and academic stress can prove overwhelming.

Local residents and coaching institutes expressed shock over the incident. Anjali’s batchmates said she was attending demo classes and appeared normal in the initial days. No one had noticed any signs of distress, they claimed.

Uttarakhand has seen several cases of student suicides in recent years, particularly in education hubs like Haldwani and Dehradun. The state government has time and again appealed to coaching centres to keep a close watch on the mental health of outstation students and set up counselling facilities.

Police have appealed to anyone with information about Anjali’s last few days to come forward. The investigation is ongoing and further details are expected once the family arrives and the postmortem report is available.

The diary entry has added a layer of mystery to the case. Investigators are trying to understand who the “one” and “other” mentioned in the note refer to. Whether it points to personal issues, academic pressure or something else will only become clearer after detailed questioning and digital forensic examination.

For now, the bustling coaching town of Haldwani is once again grappling with the tragic loss of a young life. As the monsoon clouds gather over the hills, the news has left many students and parents uneasy.

Authorities said they will review security and counselling measures at PGs and coaching centres in the area to prevent such incidents in future.