Latur farmer claims daughter ended life over NEET-UG paper leak; police launch probe

A farmer from Maharashtra’s Latur district has claimed that his 18-year-old daughter, who aspired to become a doctor, ended her life due to mental stress caused after the cancellation of the NEET UG-2026 over an alleged paper leak.

Police said they have registered an accidental death report and launched a probe into the farmer’s claim.

According to the police, Maithili Ashok Sonwane, of Gondegaon village, was found dead at their farm on the morning of May 16, 2026. Her post-mortem and other legal formalities were done, said officials.

Her 50-year-old father, Ashok Vitthal Sonwane, submitted a statement to the police on Sunday (May 24, 2026), claiming that Maithili, who appeared for the NEET-UG held on May 3, 2026, had been under severe mental stress after the exam was cancelled following a paper leak controversy.

Mr. Sonwane said his daughter dreamt of becoming a doctor.

He claimed Maithili had told her family members that, despite preparing well and performing satisfactorily in the exam, the cancellation left her disturbed and anxious about her future. She was unable to handle the stress, he said in the statement.

On May 12, 2026, the National Testing Agency cancelled the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG)-2026, held on May 3, for medical admissions, following allegations of a paper leak. A re-examination has been scheduled for June 21.

The test was conducted across 551 Indian cities and, at 14 overseas centres on May 3, 2026, and was cancelled after information regarding alleged malpractice was received on May 7, 2026. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test.

(If you are in distress or having suicidal tendencies, please reach out to these 24/7 helplines: I Call – 022-25521111 (Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.) ASRA – 022 2754 6669 (24×7) The Samaritans Mumbai: 8422984528/842984529/8422984530 ( 5 p.m. -8 p.m., all days))