Pune, Sep 9 (PTI) A 28-year-old man preparing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examinations allegedly died by suicide in Pune with a note left behind by him mentioning that he had a debt of around Rs 2.5 lakh. Reacting to the alleged suicide which came on the heels of a protest by MPSC aspirants in Pune and other parts of the state against irregularities in examinations, Cockroach Janta Party leader Abhijeet Dipke asked how many lives must be lost before the system changes.
The deceased, identified as Prathamesh Deshmukh, was a native of Paranda and was staying in a rented accommodation in Navi Peth area while preparing for MPSC exams, Deputy Commissioner of Police Krushikesh Rawale told PTI.
He was found hanging inside the
house on Wednesday morning. Deshmukh left behind a two-page note containing details of 18-19 persons from whom he had borrowed money and the amounts he had repaid, Rawale said.
Police were questioning his family members to ascertain why he had borrowed the money, he said.
Notably, the Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the leak of the question paper of MPSC Drug Inspector (Group-B) screening examination held in March.
MPSC aspirants recently staged protests in parts of the state, including Pune, demanding transparency in the recruitment process and action against the alleged paper leaks and irregularities in various examinations.
The state government has formed a high-level committee to suggest necessary improvements in the overall examination process.
In a post on X, CJP leader Dipke said there are thousands of MPSC aspirants across Maharashtra who come from humble backgrounds and many of them are from small towns and remote villages.
“Preparing for these exams already demands years of hard work and enormous sacrifices. Many students move away from home, survive on limited means and spend what little their families can afford on rent, coaching, books and repeated attempts,” he said.
“When this is compounded by exam irregularities, delays, uncertainty and a lack of accountability, the pressure can become unbearable,” Dipke said, adding that for these students, a delay or failure means more rent, more expenses, more dependence on their families and “another year of their lives hanging in uncertainty.” “Students should not have to pay such a devastating price for failures in an examination system they are expected to trust. How many more students have to suffer before those responsible take accountability? How many lives must be lost before the system finally changes?'” he asked.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve also referred to Deshmukh’s suicide in a post on X, stating that after farmers and contractors, now MPSC aspirants were taking the extreme step.
“Does the government now need to sacrifice the future generation to change the system?” he asked. PTI SPK GK AW KRK
