Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday, 17 May 2025, demanded that the BJP-led Central government publicly commit to ending paper leaks in national examinations, following the alleged suicide of a 20-year-old NEET-UG aspirant in north Delhi. The demand came days after the National Testing Agency (NTA) ordered a re-examination of NEET-UG 2026, rescheduled to 21 June, citing an alleged paper leak.

The Incident That Triggered the Response

The victim, identified as Anshika Pandey, allegedly died by suicide at her residence in the Lal Bagh area near Azadpur in north Delhi. She had appeared for the NEET-UG examination on 3 May, only to learn shortly after that the paper had allegedly been leaked and the exam would be held again. According to Bharadwaj, who visited the family, Anshika had been preparing for the entrance test for several years and had missed a medical college seat by just four marks in a previous attempt.

'This incident is tragic. The girl was preparing to get admission in a good medical college and had appeared for NEET repeatedly,' Bharadwaj said. 'Last time, she missed admission by just four marks. This time, after appearing for the exam, she realised that the paper had been leaked. She was in shock and hanged herself,' he added.

Notably, Anshika did not leave behind a suicide note. Police said her family took the body from their home on Thursday to a crematorium in Keval Park without first reporting the death to law enforcement. Authorities are questioning the family in connection with the circumstances of her death.

A Second Alleged Suicide Reported

In a separate incident, another NEET aspirant, Ritik Mishra, allegedly died by suicide on Thursday at his residence in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. Local authorities are probing the circumstances surrounding his death. Bharadwaj noted that multiple reports of NEET aspirants allegedly taking their own lives have been emerging from different parts of the country.

What the AAP Leader Demanded

Bharadwaj called on the Central government to openly acknowledge the gravity of the crisis and arrest those he described as the 'real culprits' behind the paper leak. He dismissed official claims of having nabbed the 'mastermind' as a 'lie', alleging that the administration had failed to resolve other pending cases, including a rape case and a fire incident in the Palam area, within stipulated timeframes.

'We want the government to come forward openly and assure the youth that such loot will be stopped. Papers will never be leaked again. Catch the real culprits,' he said. 'Please don't spread lies,' he added, urging transparency from authorities.

NEET-UG 2026 Re-Examination Background

The NTA had rescheduled the NEET-UG 2026 examination to 21 June 2025 following allegations of a paper leak after the original test was held on 3 May. The re-examination decision has intensified anxiety among hundreds of thousands of medical aspirants across India, many of whom have been preparing for years. This comes amid a broader pattern of examination integrity controversies that have dogged the NTA in recent years, including the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak row that triggered nationwide protests.

As pressure mounts on the Centre, the political and human cost of examination irregularities is coming into sharp focus — and the demand for systemic accountability is growing louder.