Days after an 18-year-old female NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh allegedly died by suicide in Maharashtra's Nagpur, her family discovered a handwritten note in which she apologized for not having the courage to appear for a retest of the medical entrance examination.
Emotional Note Found Among Books
In the emotional note, Akanksha Chaturvedi expressed that there was "no guarantee" she would score well in the retest and said she had "ruined everything" for her parents. Akanksha, a native of Mauganj district in Madhya Pradesh, was preparing for the NEET at a coaching institute in Nagpur.
She had appeared for the NEET-UG exam on May 3. After the test, she was upbeat and confident about scoring good marks. However, the cancellation of that exam due to allegations of a paper leak dashed her hopes and left her anxious and upset, according to her family members.
Exam Cancellation and Suicide
On May 12, the National Testing Agency cancelled the NEET UG-2026 exam held on May 3 following paper leak allegations. A re-examination was scheduled for June 21. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test.
A week after the cancellation announcement, on May 20, Akanksha was found hanging in her room at their home in Nagpur. When the family sat for lunch around noon, she told them she was not hungry and retired to her room. Around 3 pm, her family found her hanging inside the room. No suicide note was found at that time, police said.
Discovery of the Note
Her death devastated the family. Days later, while going through her books and study material, they found her handwritten note, which they submitted to the Ambazari police on June 1.
The note read: "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."
Police Investigation
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Nityanand Jha confirmed that the note has been received and is now 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, Akanksha's note reflects her anxiety about appearing for the examination again. She apologized to her parents and wrote that although she expected good marks in her first attempt, she no longer felt confident about going through the process all over again.
Family's Account
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 examination feeling optimistic and expected to score more than 650 marks. However, family members later noticed a significant change in Akanksha's behavior as she appeared increasingly disturbed following reports of the paper leak and exam rescheduling.
An official from Ambazari police station said statements of family members have been recorded, and further investigation is ongoing. All aspects mentioned in the note are being examined.
