CHENNAI: In a tragic turn of events, the father of a 19-year-old NEET student, who died by suicide on Sunday, killed himself hours after returning home from his son’s funeral. Jegadeshwaran allegedly ended his life on Monday after he failed to get the desired marks in NEET.
குரோம்பேட்டையைச் சேர்ந்த தம்பி ஜெகதீஸ்வரன் , நீட் தேர்வில் 2 முறை தோல்வியடைந்த விரக்தியில் தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்ட சோகம் மறைவதற்குள், அவருடைய தந்தை திரு.செல்வசேகர் அவர்களும் தன்னைத்தானே மாய்த்துக் கொண்டுள்ளார்.
— Udhay (@Udhaystalin) August 14, 2023
பிள்ளைகளை பலிவாங்கிய நீட் - இப்போது பெற்றோரையும் மரணக்குழியில்… pic.twitter.com/czIrloEquG
According to police, P Selvasekar (48) was dejected over the death of his son and took an extreme step. The body was sent to Chromepet Government Hospital for postmortem. A case has been registered and an investigation is on.
Police said the man, who was residing in Kurinji Nagar in Chromepet, was running a photo studio. He and his wife were separated and his son Jegadeshwaran was living with him. Police said a relative who went to the house around 2:40 am found Selvasekar’s body.
Sources said Jegadeshwaran had completed Class 12 from a CBSE school in Pallavaram in 2022 after which he sat for NEET twice. He was upset since he could not score enough to land a government college seat, having secured 395 marks in his last attempt. On Saturday afternoon, Jegadeshwaran took an extreme step while he was alone in the house.
Talking to reporters, Jegadeshwaran’s friend Fayazuddin, who is pursuing a first-year MBBS in a private medical college, said, “I scored only 160 in NEET, but my father could afford the fees and I joined a private college. Jegadeshwaran scored better than me, but his father was unable to pay the fees and he couldn’t join MBBS.”
A visibly rattled Fayazuddin said Jegadeshwaran wanted to truly serve people after becoming a doctor. However, only those who have money are securing seats while many others are unable to, he said.
When Sports Minister Udhyanidhi Stalin visited the Chromepet Government Hospital on Monday, Fayazuddin made an emotional appeal to him regarding the NEET issue.
மாணவன் ஜெகதீஸ்வரன், அவரது தந்தை செல்வசேகர் ஆகியோரின் மரணமே #NEET பலி பீடத்தின், கடைசி மரணமாக இருக்கட்டும்! அவர்களது மறைவுக்கு ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கலைத் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன்.
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 14, 2023
அறிவுமிகு மாணவக் கண்மணிகளே, தன்னம்பிக்கை கொள்ளுங்கள். உயிரை மாய்த்துக் கொள்ளும் சிந்தனை வேண்டாம் என மன்றாடிக்… pic.twitter.com/BsavDQK1a4
“Money has become the determining factor in NEET. We have been making the same request (exemption from the test) time and again and are fed up. If JEE and NEET alone are going to decide our future, what is the point in studying for Class 12 exams? How many more Jegadeshwarans and Anithas are we going to lose? Is there anything that can be done against Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi,” Fayazuddin asked Udhayanidhi.
(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on TN’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)