CHENNAI: A 17-year-old girl who was supposed to appear for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam later in the day died by suicide at her house near Melmaruvathur in Chengalpattu district early on Sunday. Police said there was no suicide note found in the house.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the girl’s mother had reprimanded her recently for not studying properly for the upcoming exam, they added.
According to the Melmaruvathur police, the girl had completed her Class 12 this year from a private school. Her father became disabled after he met with a road accident a few years ago, and her mother taught at the same private school where the girl studied, police said. The 17-year-old had been preparing for the exam on her own and had not joined any coaching centre, they added.
“The girl had a hall ticket and was supposed to appear for the exam on Sunday. Around 4 am, her mother came to her room to wake her up and found her dead. She alerted the police who rushed to the spot, recovered the body and sent it to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital for an autopsy,” a police officer said.
Due to the absence of a suicide note, police said the reason behind the girl’s suicide can only be ascertained after a thorough investigation. As per initial inquiry, they added, the girl’s mother had allegedly reprimanded her for not studying properly for the exam.
The Melmaruvathur police have registered a case and an inquiry is under way.
(If in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call 104 for health department’s helpline that offers counselling or 044- 24640050 for Sneha suicide helpline.)