Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling on the Central government to provide financial assistance of Rs 1 crore to the families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide amid the controversy surrounding examination paper leaks.
In his letter, Dipke claimed that 11 students had died by suicide in recent weeks. He further stated that five of these deaths were reported within the last 48 hours, raising concerns about the emotional and psychological challenges faced by students preparing for competitive examinations.
Open Letter to PM:
We urge PM @narendramodi to provide ₹1 crore in compensation to the families of students who died by suicide due to the paper leak crisis. pic.twitter.com/p6gOuNRvsT
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) June 19, 2026
More than 2.27 million students had appeared for the NEET examination across 551 cities before the test was scrapped. As preparations for the re-exam continue, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is carrying out an inquiry into the alleged paper leak.
The controversy has drawn nationwide attention, with reports of student deaths emerging from several states, including Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
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“We urge you to intervene immediately, priortize the mental health and safety of our students, and bring about the structural reforms needed to ensure that no more young lives are cut short by academic despair” the letter contained.
A 19-year-old NEET aspirant was found dead in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district, prompting renewed protests against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and reviving calls for the state’s exemption from the medical entrance examination.
Police identified the student as Anunkeerthana, who had appeared for the exam twice and was preparing for another attempt. Authorities said that there was no suicide note was found at the scene. Police investigations are underway.
Akanksha Chaturvedi, an 18-year-old medical aspirant from Madhya Pradesh studying at a coaching institute in Nagpur, reportedly died by suicide on May 20. Weeks later, her family discovered a note in which she expressed fear and uncertainty about appearing for the NEET examination again.
NEET UG Re-exam on June 21
The concerns come amidst reports of student deaths from different parts of the country. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), initially conducted on May 3, was cancelled after allegations of a question paper leak surfaced.
Authorities subsequently announced a fresh examination date of June 21, requiring candidates to prepare once again for one of the country’s most competitive entrance tests. The decision has placed additional pressure on students who had already completed months of preparation before the original examination.