Latur farmer claims daughter died by suicide over stress after NEET-UG cancellation; police begin probe
Police in Latur are probing the death of an 18-year-old NEET aspirant after her father linked it to stress over the exam’s cancellation. Her family said she became anxious about her future after the paper leak controversy led to a retest.
Representative Image
- May 25, 2026,
- Updated May 25, 2026, 9:52 AM IST
- Maithili Sonwane, 18, was found dead at her family farm on May 16
- Police registered an accidental death report and started an investigation
- Her father told police she was distressed after NEET UG was cancelled
Police in Maharashtra’s Latur district have launched a probe after a farmer claimed that his 18-year-old daughter died by suicide due to mental stress caused by the cancellation of the NEET UG-2026 examination following an alleged paper leak controversy.
According to police officials, Maithili Ashok Sonwane, a resident of Gondegaon village, allegedly hanged herself from a tree at her family’s farm on the morning of May 16. An accidental death report has been registered and investigations are underway.
Maithili’s father, Ashok Vitthal Sonwane, submitted a statement to police on Sunday alleging that his daughter had been under severe mental stress after the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG)-2026 was cancelled.
Ashok said his daughter had aspired to become a doctor and had worked hard for the examination held on May 3.
In his statement, he claimed that Maithili had told family members she was deeply disturbed after the exam was scrapped despite her preparation and satisfactory performance. According to him, she became anxious about her future and was unable to cope with the stress.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET UG-2026 examination on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak and malpractice. A re-examination has been scheduled for June 21.
The entrance test for medical admissions was conducted on May 3 across 551 cities in India and 14 overseas centres. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the examination.
