Dehradun topper dies by suicide while preparing for NEET
23-year-old's suicide note read, "Mom and Dad, I love you," and expressed disappointment and frustration over not being able to achieve success in her studies
A 23-year-old woman named Riya Kumari, who was living with her family in Dehradun's Patel Nagar area, was found dead in her room. She was preparing for the NEET re-examination scheduled for June 21.
Riya was the daughter of a 1999 Kargil War veteran and known to spend long hours studying late into the night.
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On Tuesday (June 16) morning, her mother went to her room and found the door locked from the inside. After receiving no response, the family forced the door open and found her hanging from a ceiling fan. Police were informed around 11:30 am.
A suicide note recovered from the scene read, "Mom and Dad, I love you," and contained expressions of disappointment and frustration over not being able to achieve success in her studies. Police said the note made clear that she held no one else responsible for her decision.
A topper undone by exam pressure
Riya had performed exceptionally well in Class 12, securing 96.7 per cent marks and going on to become a college topper. Yet the weight of a high-stakes national examination and the disruption caused by its cancellation, appeared to have taken a severe toll on her.
According to reports, Riya had told her father that she was expecting a good score in the NEET examination conducted on May 3, but the paper was leaked. She had since been preparing for the re-examination.
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Circle Officer Ankit Kandari, who is handling the investigation, told ANI: "Yesterday morning, a tragic incident occurred. A report was received at the Patel Nagar police station." He added that the post-mortem report was awaited and that the investigation remained ongoing. Bhashatimes
Not an isolated tragedy
Riya's death is part of a disturbing pattern. Four students had already allegedly died by suicide in different parts of the country after the National Testing Agency cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination following a paper leak.
In Coimbatore, a 19-year-old girl named Anukeerthana from Coimbatore has died after consuming a headache remedy. It is reported that she was unable to cope with having to sit the exam again after the cancellation.
Protests mount, demands grow
CPI(M) workers in Coimbatore have been staging protests demanding justice for Anukeerthana, along with her parents, they have refused to claim her body from the mortuary, demanding accountability. Opposition parties and others have called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while protests have erupted across the country over the paper leak and the government's handling of the crisis.
The re-examination is now scheduled for June 21. The government is yet to make any concrete statement on the wider controversy surrounding the leak.
(Suicides can be prevented. For help, please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help - +91- 9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation - 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471-2552056, Maithri 0484-2540530, and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)