SALEM: A 19-year-old student from Vellalapuram in Edappadi, who was preparing for the NEET examination, ended her life on Friday afternoon, allegedly under stress due to her exam preparation.
The deceased, identified as S Gopika, had completed her schooling in 2024 and had been preparing for the NEET examination for the past two years. Her father works in a salon and is a daily wage worker, while her mother is a homemaker, relatives said. They also added the family was not in a financial position to afford NEET coaching classes, and she had been preparing on her own over the years.
Sources said she had appeared for the NEET examination on three occasions, including the test conducted on May 3, 2026. She was also preparing for the re-examination scheduled for June 21 in connection with the reported paper leak controversy.
Gopika had earlier told her father that she was under considerable stress due to the increasing difficulty in preparing for the examination, and that the pressure had been building over time. They added that the announcement of the re-exam had further added to her anxiety in recent days.
On Friday afternoon, she was home alone as her parents were away for work and her elder sister was out of town. Sources said she had spoken to her grandfather around 11.30 am, after which her mobile phone was found switched off. When repeated attempts to contact her failed, her grandfather alerted her parents, who rushed home and found her unconscious after an alleged suicide attempt.
She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital in Edappadi and later referred to the Salem Government Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Konganapuram police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.
(Assistance to overcome suicidal thoughts is available on TN's health helpline 104 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)
