A 20-year-old NEET aspirant was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Delhi’s Azadpur area, with police suspecting suicide. The case came to light after the student’s family allegedly attempted to perform her last rites at a crematorium without informing the authorities or conducting a postmortem examination.
According to police, a PCR call was received at the Adarsh Nagar police station on Thursday evening stating that a young woman’s body had been brought to the Kewal Park crematorium for cremation without police intimation. A police team immediately reached the spot and stopped the cremation process.
The deceased, identified as Anshika, was a resident of Lal Bagh in Azadpur and had been preparing for the NEET medical entrance examination for the past several years. Officials said she had appeared for the exam in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
“The victim was a NEET aspirant. We are probing as to why she took the extreme step. No suicide note has been found during the investigation,” a senior police officer said.
The body was later shifted to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital for postmortem examination. A forensic team also visited her residence to collect evidence and inspect the scene.
Crematorium Priest Alerted Police After Finding Marks on Neck
Rinku Sharma, a priest at the crematorium, said the family initially claimed the young woman had died during treatment after being unwell for several days.
“When I asked for the deceased’s Aadhaar card and hospital records, they showed the Aadhaar card but could not furnish any medical documents, raising suspicion,” Sharma told reporters.
He further said that he noticed suspicious marks around the woman’s neck during the verification process.
“When I checked the body, I noticed a mark around the neck that appeared suspicious. Sensing that something was wrong, I informed the police,” he said.
Police said the family later told investigators that they were unaware of the legal procedures and had taken the body for cremation without informing authorities.
Family Suspects NEET Cancellation Added to Her Stress
Family members and relatives claimed the student had been under severe stress after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination amid allegations of a paper leak.
The examination, held on May 3, was cancelled earlier this week, affecting nearly 23 lakh students across the country. The re-examination has now been scheduled for June 21.
A maternal uncle of the deceased alleged that the cancellation deeply disturbed her.
“She was a bright student and had been preparing for NEET for the past few years. Her parents had told me that she was disturbed after the test was cancelled on Tuesday,” he said outside the mortuary.
“We suspect that the abrupt decision to cancel the NEET may have driven her to take the extreme step,” he added.
The relative said Anshika had dreamed of becoming a doctor since childhood and remained dedicated to her studies.
“She had expressed her desire to join the medical profession when she was in Class 5 and started her preparations after reaching Class 8,” he said.
“She was very sincere. Whenever she faced difficulties in any subject, she would contact her teachers to clear her doubts. She spent most of her time studying and was fully focused on achieving her goal,” he added.
NEET Cancellation Sparks Anxiety Among Students
The cancellation of NEET UG 2026 has triggered anxiety and frustration among students and parents nationwide. Reports of emotional distress among aspirants have surfaced from several states following the paper leak controversy and uncertainty surrounding the examination process.
Police said further investigation into the Delhi student’s death is underway and the exact cause will be confirmed after the postmortem report.
