A 17-year-old NEET aspirant allegedly died by suicide at his residence in Goa on Tuesday night, police said, amid growing nationwide controversy over the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination following an alleged question paper leak.
Police said the teenager had appeared for the NEET examination conducted on May 3. However, officials clarified that it is not yet confirmed whether the alleged suicide was directly linked to the cancellation of the examination, and investigations are underway.
Police recover note mentioning exam stress
According to police, the incident took place between 10 pm and 11 pm on Tuesday.
The local police station was alerted through the control room around 11.15 pm after the family discovered the teenager unconscious inside his room.
Officials said the boy had locked the room from inside. When repeated knocks went unanswered, family members forced open the door and found him unresponsive.
He was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Police said a note was recovered from the spot in which the student reportedly mentioned stress related to “competitive exams”.
Initial inquiry with family members also suggested that the teenager had been under pressure regarding exam performance.
Student was also a hockey player
Police said the deceased was a hockey player and had been preparing seriously for the highly competitive medical entrance examination.
A case of unnatural death has been registered and inquest proceedings are currently underway.
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the National Testing Agency (NTA) has intensified after the NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled over alleged paper leaks.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested multiple individuals and launched searches across several states in connection with the alleged leak and examination irregularities.
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