Jharkhand: NEET aspirant dies by suicide; family points to cancelled exam

A 17-year-old NEET aspirant was found dead at her residence in Jharkhand's Koderma district, with her family claiming that she was distressed after the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination.

The incident was reported from Chitragupt Nagar under the Telaiya police station area on Sunday night, police said.

According to police, the girl was alone in her room when family members called her for dinner. After receiving no response for an extended period, they forced open the door and found her hanging from a scarf.

She was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Telaiya police station in-charge Vinay Kumar said a case of unnatural death has been registered and further investigation is underway.

The girl's father said she had appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, on 3 May and was confident about her performance.

According to him, she became upset after the examination was cancelled and feared that the re-test would be more difficult.

"We counselled her several times, and she appeared to be coping with the situation. She had resumed her preparation and was regularly taking online tests," her father, an insurance agent, told PTI.

He said she was taking an online test on Sunday evening before the incident.

"At dinner time, we called her several times, but there was no response. We became concerned and broke into the room to find her body," he said.

The family hails from Bihar's Nawada district and the deceased was the only child of her parents.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled NEET-UG on 12 May following allegations of a paper leak. A fresh examination has been scheduled for 21 June.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the alleged irregularities, has so far arrested 13 accused persons in connection with the case.