Mother of Deceased NEET Aspirant Calls for Capital Punishment in Paper Leak Case
The mother of a NEET aspirant who died by suicide after the medical entrance exam was cancelled due to a paper leak has demanded the death penalty for those responsible. Speaking to the media, Neelam Chaturvedi said she supports the student protests but believes accountability does not end with the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Her daughter, 18-year-old Akanksha Chaturvedi, died by suicide in Nagpur on May 20 after the NEET exam was cancelled. A re-test was held a month later. In her handwritten suicide note, Akanksha expressed her inability to face the exam again, writing, 'Mom and Dad, you had faith that your daughter would study hard and become a doctor, but I no longer have the courage to take the NEET exam again.'
Akanksha, originally from Madhya Pradesh, had moved to Nagpur with her family to prepare for the exam. She enrolled in a coaching institute and took the NEET test on May 3. Her mother recounted that Akanksha felt the paper had gone well, but fell into deep shock after learning of the leak. She stopped eating and speaking, according to her uncle Jagdish Prasad Chaturvedi.
The family faces further hardship. Akanksha's father has suffered two heart attacks and is paralysed. Her mother lamented, 'If my daughter were alive, she would have handled everything.' The father had taken financial risks, cultivating a small piece of land and working as a cook in Nagpur to support his daughter's education.
Former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Tuesday amid massive protests over the NEET paper leak. However, the Chaturvedi family said they are not satisfied with the resignation. 'Those involved in the paper leak should be sentenced to death,' Neelam Chaturvedi demanded.
The case highlights the immense pressure on students in competitive exams and the consequences of systemic failures. The family hopes for justice but acknowledges that no step can bring back Akanksha.
