Police prevented a NEET aspirant from allegedly committing suicide acting on inputs from their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, officials said on Sunday.

The 19-year-old student told police during counselling that he was depressed over the suicide of a Varanasi-based friend from an online PUBG group who died on Friday, they said.

Police said that the youth, a resident of Maharashtra’s Nasik, told them that he was planning to commit suicide.

Police teams traced the boy from his hostel room in Landmark City under Kunhari police station, Kota city SP Sharad Chaudhary told media on Sunday. Police said he was handed over to his parents after counselling.

Police said a post on the youth’s Instagram account said that he was going to commit suicide at 2 pm on Saturday. But it was later found that his account was being operated by another friend from the PUBG group based in Madhya Pradesh, said DSP Khinv Singh, Circle Officer, Kunhari.

According to police, the NEET aspirant had come to Kota only 10 days back. During counselling, he told police that he was depressed over the suicide of Ranveer Upadhyay on Friday in Varanasi.

The youth said he came into contact with Upadhyay through a PUBG group in which the latter was an admin.

The NEET aspirant had not met Upadhyay and the MP-based friend in person and came into contact with them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Singh said the youth was handed over to his family members safely after counselling.

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