TIRUCHY: A 19-year-old youth from a village in Ariyalur who was preparing for NEET killed himself on Wednesday by jumping into a well.
The youth was identified as V Vignesh from Elanthankuzhi village near Senthurai in Ariyalur district. He was reportedly worried that his preparation for the medical admission exam was not sufficient. He had already taken the exam twice but failed to get admission into any medical college.
Vignesh jumped in the wee hours, said his father Vishwanathan. His body was recovered by the villagers with the help of police.
His parents and relatives staged a roadblock on the Sendurai road following the tragedy. They said none of them expected the exam to conducted so soon amid the pandemic and it came as a shock to Vignesh.
His father Vishwanathan said Vignesh was already under a lot of pressure and expectations considering that it was his third attempt. Speaking to reporters, Vishwanathan said, "We expected that he would get more than five hundred marks this time. He was preparing well."
He said in some mock papers, his scores were much better than his previous attempts. However, he said his son panicked as the exam neared and there was no postponement, which he expected.
The villagers also did not allow the body to be sent for postmortem and demanded that NEET be cancelled. They took the body to the house and started the last rites. However, later the police convinced the parents to send the body for postmortem. It was taken to Jeyankondam Government Hospital.
(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 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)