A NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh died by suicide after the exam she took was cancelled amid the paper leak row. Her family said the uncertainty over the re-test deepened her distress despite months of preparation and financial sacrifice.
A NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh’s Mauganj district died by suicide after reportedly falling into depression following the cancellation of the medical entrance examination she had appeared for amid the paper leak fiasco.
Akanksha Chaturvedi left behind a note saying that “she did not have the courage” to appear for the test again.
She was among the lakhs of students who appeared for the NEET-UG exams conducted on May 3. The National Testing Agency (NTA), however, cancelled the examination on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak and announced a re-test on June 21.
According to her family, she had been preparing for the examination and was expecting a score of around 650 marks.
Family members claimed that Akanksha had become deeply distressed in the aftermath of the controversy surrounding the examination and had been under emotional strain in the weeks leading up to her death.
They alleged that the uncertainty surrounding the exam had affected her mental state.
Akanksha’s parents said they had made significant financial sacrifices to support her dream of becoming a doctor.
Despite their modest means, the family reportedly took a loan of Rs 3 lakh through a Kisan Credit Card to fund her coaching in Nagpur.
Her father, Krishna Kumar Chaturvedi, a farmer by profession, also took up work as a cook in Nagpur while his daughter prepared for the examination there.
The family said they were confident she would secure admission to a medical college this year.
The suicide note recovered from the spot reflected her concerns about the future.
“Mummy Papa, you believed your daughter would study and become a doctor. But I do not have the courage to take the NEET exam again. I have ruined both of you,” she wrote.
“There is no guarantee that I will perform well if I appear for the examination again.”