A 20-year-old NEET aspirant died after falling from the third floor of a residential building in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore late Thursday night, just two days before the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for Sunday. The incident has added to growing concerns over the mental stress faced by students after the exam was cancelled over an alleged paper leak.
The deceased, identified as Avantika Maurya, was living with her elder sister in Indore while preparing for the medical entrance test. She was the daughter of a government medical officer from Dhar district.
Family Says Exam Cancellation Left Her Distressed
According to family members, Avantika had attempted the NEET exam three times earlier and had failed to qualify. This year was seen as her final major chance to secure admission into a medical college.
Her sister said Avantika had been under immense pressure since the cancellation of the exam on May 12. “She was confident that she had done well this time. But after the exam was cancelled, she became stressed and withdrawn,” her sister said.
Her father also said the family had noticed changes in her behaviour. “She wanted to become a doctor and was deeply upset after the exam was cancelled. She stopped eating properly and remained quiet most of the time,” he said.
The family had enrolled her in a pharmacy course as an alternative, but relatives said she was not interested and wanted to continue chasing her dream of becoming a doctor.
Incident Captured on CCTV
Police said the incident took place around 11:30 pm in the Bhawarkuan area of Indore. Avantika was reportedly speaking to a relative over the phone shortly before the fall.
According to officials, she first went to the balcony and then moved to the upper floor of the building. Minutes later, family members heard a loud sound and found her seriously injured.
She was immediately rushed to a private hospital and later referred to Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital, where she died during treatment early Friday morning.
Police Investigating All Angles
Police have not yet confirmed whether it was suicide or an accident. A senior officer said the case is being investigated from all angles.
“Prima facie it appears to be a suicide, but we are also examining whether it could have been accidental. Her mobile phone has been seized and CCTV footage is being reviewed,” a police official said.
No suicide note has been recovered so far. The forensic team has inspected the scene and statements of family members have been recorded.
Series of Similar Deaths Raise Concern
Avantika’s death is the latest in a series of tragic incidents linked to the stress surrounding the NEET-UG exam. In recent days, NEET aspirants in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan have also died under suspected suicide circumstances.
The re-examination was announced after central agencies found that the original NEET paper had been compromised, affecting more than 2.27 million students across India.
