NEET UG re-exam row: Family claims Maharashtra aspirant died by suicide due to mental stress

A 50-year-old farmer from Maharashtra's Latur district has claimed that his 18-year-old daughter died by suicide due to mental stress caused after the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination over alleged paper leak. Police said they have registered an accidental death report and launched a probe into the farmer's claim. According to the police, Maithili Ashok Sonwane of Gondegaon village hanged herself from a tree at their farm on the morning of May 16. NEET fee refund 2026 LIVE updates.

Her post-mortem and other legal formalities were done, said officials. Her father Ashok Vitthal Sonwane submitted a statement to the police on Sunday, claiming that Maithili had been under severe mental stress after the NEET-UG examination was cancelled following a paper leak controversy. Ashok said his daughter was preparing for the entrance exam and dreamt of becoming a doctor. He said Maithili had told her family members that despite preparing well and performing satisfactorily in the exam, the cancellation had left her disturbed and anxious about her future.

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She was unable to handle the stress and ended her life, he said in the statement. The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) was conducted across 551 Indian cities and at 14 overseas centres on May 3 and was cancelled after information regarding alleged malpractice was received on May 7. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test. The re-examination will be conducted on June 21.