The reason: failure to cope up with the pressure of studies.

In all three cases, neither the family members nor the police have been able to trace them so far. According to reports, those who have gone missing are a BBA student, a homoeopathy student and an SSC student.

These incidents have occurred despite the District Education Office starting counselling centres in schools to help students deal with academic pressures and develop a positive attitude.

In the first incident, 15-year-old Sagar Mevada (a Class X student), is missing since February 23 after he left his home in Shrinathji Society in Mavdi for tuition classes.

The police have so far failed to trace the Sagar.

In another incident, Rakesh Tarapara, a final year BBA student at Atmiya College, left his rented house in Ghanshyamnagar on Kalawad Road on February 20. When he did not return till late night, his room-partner Rakesh Sogittra contacted other friends and later informed the police.

During investigations, the police recovered a note from Tarapara’s room. The note, written to his parents, said he was losing interest in studies and was finding it quite difficult to continue with them. The police said he had also mentioned moving to an unknown place and asked his parents not to worry about him.

Later, his uncle Chagganbhai Tarapara registered a complaint in this regard with the Gandhigram police. Tarapara, hailing from Jamkandorna in Jamnagar district, had a good academic record and had scored 79 per cent in his HSC examination.

The story of 19-year-old Kashyup Prajapati, a final year student of Homeopathy, is little different. This resident of New Jalaram Society the Ring Road is missing since February 2, the day he had left his house for college.

After a failed search operation, his family lodged a missing complaint on February 17 with the police. The police, who have not got any clue about him in the last 10 days, rule out the possibility of kidnapping, as there has been no ransom or any other call.