NEET aspirant Anshika Pandey, 21, found dead in North Delhi amid paper leak crisis
Synopsis
Two NEET-UG aspirants are dead in apparent suicides within 24 hours — one in North Delhi, one in Uttar Pradesh — as the fallout from the cancelled exam's paper leak crisis deepens. With the CBI having arrested seven people and the re-test pushed to 21 June, the human cost of India's most high-stakes medical entrance exam is now impossible to ignore.
Key Takeaways
Anshika Pandey , 21 , was found dead at her residence in Lal Bagh, Azadpur, North Delhi on 15 May 2024 in an apparent suicide by hanging.
She had appeared for the NEET-UG examination on 3 May , which was later cancelled by the NTA over an alleged paper leak.
A cremation ground priest's alert to Adarsh Nagar police station prevented the body from being cremated without police knowledge.
No suicide note has been found; the post-mortem and full investigation are ongoing.
A second NEET aspirant, Ritik Mishra , allegedly died by suicide on the same day in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh .
The CBI has arrested seven individuals in the paper leak probe; the NEET-UG re-examination is scheduled for 21 June 2024 .
A 21-year-old NEET-UG aspirant, Anshika Pandey, was found dead in an apparent case of suicide at her residence in Lal Bagh, Azadpur, North Delhi, police confirmed on Friday, 15 May. Pandey had appeared for the NEET-UG examination on 3 May, the same exam that was subsequently cancelled by the National Testing Agency (NTA) after the question paper was allegedly leaked. Investigators have cautioned that the exact cause of her death will be determined only after a full inquiry.
How the Case Came to Light
Police received a PCR call at Adarsh Nagar police station on Thursday after a priest at Kewal Park Shamshan Ghat found it suspicious that a young woman's body had been brought for cremation without prior intimation to authorities. The priest's alert prevented the cremation from proceeding and set the investigation in motion.
The body was immediately taken into custody and transferred to BJRM Hospital Mortuary for a post-mortem examination. A Delhi Police crime team, accompanied by forensic experts, subsequently inspected the scene at the family's residence. According to officials, the family members were unaware of the legal procedure requiring police notification before cremation and had acted without any intent to conceal.
State of the Investigation
Enquiries revealed that Pandey had allegedly died by suicide through hanging at her home. No suicide note has been recovered so far, and police say they are examining all aspects of the case. The precise circumstances — including whether the NEET-UG cancellation and the ensuing uncertainty contributed to her distress — remain under investigation. Officials have refrained from drawing any conclusions pending the post-mortem report.
A Second Death Linked to NEET Turmoil
The Azadpur tragedy is not an isolated incident. On the same Thursday, another NEET aspirant, Ritik Mishra, allegedly died by suicide at his residence in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. Local authorities are probing the circumstances of that case as well. Together, the two deaths have intensified scrutiny of the mental health toll the NEET-UG paper leak crisis is reportedly exacting on students across the country.
The NEET-UG Paper Leak: Where Things Stand
The NEET-UG 2024 examination, held on 3 May, was cancelled by the NTA after allegations of a widespread paper leak emerged. The re-examination is now scheduled for 21 June. The probe into the alleged leak has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has conducted multiple raids across several states and arrested seven individuals in connection with the case so far. Investigators are examining how the question paper was leaked and the networks through which it was circulated.
The back-to-back deaths of young aspirants have prompted fresh calls from student groups and opposition politicians for accountability from the NTA and for urgent mental health support mechanisms for affected candidates.
Point of View
Leaving hundreds of thousands of aspirants in prolonged uncertainty. That vacuum of information is itself a welfare risk. The CBI arrests signal seriousness on the criminal side, but there is no parallel urgency visible on student support. If the re-examination on 21 June proceeds without a structured mental health outreach to affected candidates, the authorities will have addressed the symptom — the leaked paper — while ignoring the crisis it has already triggered.
NationPress
28 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Anshika Pandey and what happened to her?
Anshika Pandey was a 21-year-old NEET-UG aspirant from Lal Bagh, Azadpur, North Delhi, who was found dead at her residence on 15 May 2024 in an apparent case of suicide by hanging. She had sat for the NEET-UG exam on 3 May, which was subsequently cancelled by the NTA over an alleged paper leak.
How did police come to know about her death?
A priest at Kewal Park Shamshan Ghat found it suspicious that the family had brought the body for cremation without informing the police and called Adarsh Nagar police station. The body was then taken into custody and sent to BJRM Hospital Mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
Was a suicide note found in the Anshika Pandey case?
No suicide note has been recovered so far. Police say the exact reason for her death will be known only after the investigation and post-mortem examination are complete.
Who is Ritik Mishra and how is his case connected?
Ritik Mishra is another NEET-UG aspirant who allegedly died by suicide on Thursday at his residence in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh — the same day Anshika Pandey's death came to light. Local authorities are investigating the circumstances of his death separately.
What is the current status of the NEET-UG paper leak investigation?
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is handling the probe into the NEET-UG paper leak. It has conducted multiple raids across several states and arrested seven individuals so far. The NEET-UG re-examination is scheduled for 21 June 2024.
