Daijiworld Media Network – Ahilyanagar
Ahilyanagar, Jul 27: A 19-year-old medical aspirant allegedly died by suicide at her residence in Jalalpur village of Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district after being distressed over her score in the NEET re-examination, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Ankita Sangale, a resident of Jalalpur in Karjat taluka. She was found hanging in her study room on Saturday after reportedly securing 166 marks in the NEET re-test.
Police have registered a case of accidental death and launched an investigation.
According to the police, a note recovered from the spot indicated that Ankita was upset over her performance in the NEET re-examination. Her family said she had been under severe mental stress after failing to secure the marks she had expected.
Family members claimed Ankita had performed well in the original examination but became deeply disappointed after the alleged paper leak led to a re-test.
According to her relatives, Ankita had been studying alone in a separate room at home. When she did not respond for a prolonged period, family members broke open the door and found her hanging. They immediately informed the police.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Nilesh Lanke visited the bereaved family and held the government responsible for the tragedy. He demanded that a culpable homicide case be registered against those responsible for the alleged NEET paper leak and others found accountable for the circumstances leading to the student's death.
Lanke also alleged that Ankita had scored significantly better in the examination conducted before the paper leak controversy and sought accountability from the authorities.
Expressing grief over the incident, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said the tragedy came even as student protests over the NEET issue were gaining momentum in New Delhi.
In a post on X, Pawar paid tribute to Ankita and appealed to students not to lose hope because of academic setbacks.
He urged students not to resort to extreme steps after a single disappointment, stressing that perseverance and continued effort were the key to achieving success.
The incident comes weeks after another alleged suicide linked to the NEET controversy. On June 20, 21-year-old Yash Gosavi from Karanji village in Nashik district allegedly died by suicide a day before the scheduled NEET re-test.
According to his family, Yash had been confident of securing an MBBS seat before reports of the alleged paper leak and the decision to conduct a re-examination left him under severe mental stress. His elder brother, Aniket Gosavi, was among the students who participated in protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over the NEET controversy.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or overwhelming emotional distress, seeking immediate support from trusted family members, friends or a qualified mental health professional can help. Crisis helplines are also available to provide confidential assistance.