'Don't have courage for retest, sorry Mummy, Papa': NEET aspirant's note found days after suicide

Days after an 18-year-old NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh allegedly died by suicide in Maharashtra's Nagpur, her family discovered a handwritten note in which she apologised to her parents and expressed fear about appearing for the re-examination of the medical entrance test.

Akanksha Chaturvedi, a native of Mauganj district in Madhya Pradesh, had appeared for the NEET-UG examination on May 3 and was reportedly confident of securing a high score. However, the cancellation of the exam following allegations of a paper leak left her distressed, according to her family.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination on May 12 after allegations of a paper leak surfaced. A re-examination was subsequently scheduled for June 21. Around 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test.

Akanksha was preparing for NEET at a coaching institute in Nagpur, where her family was also residing.

According to police, on May 20, Akanksha told her family during lunch that she was not hungry and would eat later before going to her room. Around 3 pm, family members found her hanging inside the room. No suicide note was recovered at the time.

Several days later, while sorting through her books and study material, the family found a handwritten note, which was submitted to the Ambazari police on June 1.

In the note, Akanksha wrote, "Mummy, Papa...you had trust in me that I would study and become a doctor. But I do not have the courage to appear for a retest. In the first test, I was about to score good marks. But there is no guarantee that I will score good marks again. Sorry, Mummy, Papa, I have ruined everything for both of you."

Deputy Commissioner of Police Nityanand Jha said the note has been made part of the investigation.

"The girl ended her life in Nagpur, where the entire family was residing. The note surfaced when the family members were rummaging through her books. It has been submitted to the police, and investigation is now underway to ascertain all circumstances related to the case," Jha said.

According to police, the note indicates that Akanksha was anxious about taking the examination again. Investigators said she apologised to her parents and expressed uncertainty about repeating the process despite expecting a strong performance in the original examination.

Her father, Krishna Kumar Chaturvedi, a small farmer who also worked as a cook in Nagpur to support the family, told police that his daughter had returned from the May 3 examination feeling optimistic and believed she would score more than 650 marks.

However, family members later observed a significant change in her behaviour as she became increasingly disturbed after reports of the paper leak and the announcement of a retest.

An official from Ambazari police station said statements of family members have been recorded and further investigation is underway.

"All aspects mentioned in the note are being examined," the official said.