NAGPUR: Days after an 18-year-old NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh allegedly died by suicide in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, her family found a handwritten note in which she apologised to her parents and said she did not have the courage to appear for the re-examination of the medical entrance test.The student, Akanksha Chaturvedi, wrote in the note that there was “no guarantee” she would score well in the retest and expressed regret for disappointing her family, according to news agency PTI.Akanksha had appeared for the NEET-UG examination conducted on May 3 and had returned home feeling confident about her performance. According to her family, she was expecting a high score and was optimistic about securing admission to a medical college.However, the examination was cancelled by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak. A fresh examination was subsequently scheduled for June 21. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test.A native of Madhya Pradesh’s Mauganj district, Akanksha was preparing for NEET at a coaching institute in Nagpur, where her family was residing.According to police, she was found hanging in her room at the family’s residence on May 20, nearly a week after the cancellation of the examination was announced.On the day of the incident, Akanksha reportedly told her family around noon that she was not hungry and would eat later. She then went to her room. At around 3 pm, family members found her hanging inside the room. No suicide note was recovered at the time, police said.The family was left devastated by her death. Several days later, while sorting through her books and study materials, they discovered a handwritten note. The note was 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.”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.Police said the contents of the note indicate that Akanksha was anxious about appearing for the examination again. Investigators are examining all aspects mentioned in the note as part of the ongoing probe.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 expected to score more than 650 marks in the original examination.Family members said they observed a significant change in her behaviour after reports of the paper leak emerged and the examination was rescheduled. According to them, she appeared increasingly disturbed in the days leading up to her death.An official from the Ambazari police station said statements of family members have been recorded and further investigation is underway.
