A 18-year- old NEET aspirant allegedly died by suicide in Maharashtra's Latur, due to mental stress caused after the cancellation of the NEET UG-2026 over an alleged paper leak, her father, a farmer said.
According to the police, Maithili Ashok Sonwane, of Gondegaon village, allegedly died by suicide on the morning of May 16.
Her father Ashok Vitthal Sonwane submitted a statement to the police on Sunday, claiming that Maithili, who appeared for the NEET-UG held on May 3, had been under severe mental stress after the exam was cancelled following a paper leak controversy.
Ashok said his daughter dreamt of becoming a doctor. He said that Maithili had told her family members that despite preparing well and performing satisfactorily in the exam, the cancellation left her disturbed and anxious about her future. She was unable to handle the stress and ended her life, he said in the statement.
Police said they have registered an accidental death report and launched a probe into the farmer's claim.
On May 12, the National Testing Agency cancelled the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG)-2026 held on May 3 for medical admissions following allegations of paper leak.
A re-examination has been scheduled for June 21. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test.
(With inputs from PTI)
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.