NEET 2026: Another aspirant commits suicide after cancellation of exam over paper leak row

A medical aspirant in Rajasthan allegedly died by suicide amid growing anxiety surrounding the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination, with his family claiming he had performed well in the test and was expecting around 650 marks. According to police, the student, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Jhunjhunu district’s Gudha Gaudji area. He had been living in Sikar with his two sisters for the past three years while preparing for the medical entrance examination at a private coaching institute.

Udyog Nagar station house officer Rajesh Kumar said Pradeep allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister’s scarf. Police said the incident took place on Friday afternoon when his younger sister had gone to coaching classes and his elder sister was in the bathroom. On returning, she allegedly found him hanging from the ceiling fan. She reportedly cut the scarf with scissors and informed the landlord and police.

Family members and police rushed him to SK Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His body has been kept in the hospital mortuary. Pradeep had appeared for the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3. His father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that his son had done well in the examination and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks out of 720.

The family said he was confident of securing a government medical college seat this year, but became distressed after the examination was cancelled over alleged irregularities and a paper leak. They claimed the uncertainty surrounding the re-examination pushed him into depression.

The National Testing Agency cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination earlier this week, which was taken by more than 22 lakh aspirants across the country, following allegations of paper leaks and irregularities. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced that the re-examination would be held on June 21. He also stated that the medical entrance examination would transition to a computer-based format starting next year.

Expressing grief over the student’s death, Sachin Pilot said incidents linked to the NEET paper leak and exam cancellation had created anxiety among aspirants. In a post on X, Pilot described Pradeep’s death as “extremely heartbreaking” and also referred to similar suicide cases reported from Goa and Uttar Pradesh following the NEET-UG controversy.

The Rajasthan case comes amid a series of similar incidents reported from across the country after the cancellation of the examination. In Delhi’s Azadpur, a 20-year-old NEET aspirant allegedly died by suicide at her residence. Police said no suicide note was found, and the exact reason behind the incident was yet to be ascertained. According to PTI, the family later took the body for cremation without informing the police.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri, 21-year-old Ritik Mishra allegedly died by suicide after reportedly being distressed by the cancellation of the examination. His family said he had been confident about clearing the exam on his third attempt. A 17-year-old boy from South Goa district also allegedly died by suicide after appearing for NEET-UG 2026. Police said his suicide note cited academic stress and concerns over balancing studies with his passion for hockey.

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