Amid Pradhan's Exit, NEET Leak Shatters Family: Nagpur Aspirant Ends Life, Father Paralysed

Published 28 July 2026 · education

Amid Pradhan's Exit, NEET Leak Shatters Family: Nagpur Aspirant Ends Life, Father Paralysed Published By, Last Updated: July 28, 2026, 15:13 IST Days after 18-year-old

Amid Pradhan's Exit, NEET Leak Shatters Family: Nagpur Aspirant Ends Life, Father Paralysed Published By, Last Updated: July 28, 2026, 15:13 IST Days after 18-year-old NEET aspirant Akanksha Chaturvedi died by suicide in Nagpur, her father has suffered two heart attacks and paralysis; her mother demands justice from Centre. Akanksha's death came amid the CJP-led protests at Jantar Mantar that eventually forced Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as Education Minister on Saturday. Eighteen-year-old Akanksha, also known as Sneha Chaturvedi, died by suicide at her residence in Nagpur days ago, driven to despair by the chaos surrounding the NEET paper leak. Her family has since been left shattered — her father has suffered two heart attacks and a paralytic stroke since her death, while her mother has demanded capital punishment for those responsible. A resident of Maganiya village in Madhya Pradesh’s Mauganj district, Akanksha had been living in Nagpur to prepare for the NEET exam, hoping to score over 650 marks. But the confusion and uncertainty surrounding the examination process pushed her into severe mental distress. She left behind a note reading, “I no longer have the courage to take the exam again," before ending her life.

How Did The Family Fund Her Preparation? Her father, Krishna Kumar Chaturvedi, is a small landholding farmer who sold his farmland and family jewellery and took out loans worth lakhs of rupees to fund his daughter’s dream of becoming a doctor. He reportedly even took up catering work in Nagpur to help cover her education expenses there. How Has Her Death Affected The Family? The psychological shock of her suicide has taken a severe physical toll on Krishna Kumar, who has suffered two heart attacks along with a paralytic stroke since her death. He is currently unable to speak or move from his position. Akanksha’s mother, Neelam, said the family’s remaining savings are now being spent on her husband’s treatment. What Is The Family Demanding? Speaking through tears, Neelam said that while Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned, it will not bring her daughter back. She demanded capital punishment for those responsible for the paper leak and the mismanagement of the examination, saying only then would her daughter’s soul find peace. How Does This Connect To Pradhan’s Resignation? Akanksha’s death came amid the CJP-led protests at Jantar Mantar that eventually forced Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Education Minister on Saturday.

According to sources, the Centre’s first move to defuse the standoff was not Pradhan’s exit at all — Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh reportedly offered on July 20 to shift Pradhan to a different ministry, an offer CJP negotiators Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka rejected outright, insisting nothing short of resignation would satisfy protesters. What Happened Behind The Scenes Before He Quit? Sources said Nadda and Singh told the CJP team that removing or reassigning a minister was the Prime Minister’s prerogative, but the CJP held firm, believing anything less than a resignation would trigger a sharp backlash among protesters. The BJP has denied that any such portfolio-change offer was made — party MP Sambit Patra dismissed the reports as “baseless," saying Pradhan had already resigned and that media reports suggesting otherwise were misleading. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had also rejected the idea of a mere portfolio change, calling Pradhan “a symbol of the mess in the education system" who “must go." In his resignation note, Pradhan said he was stepping down to prevent “anti-national forces" from exploiting the unrest and to protect students’ futures from getting “entangled in legal complexities." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Sumedha Kirti Sumedha Kirti is a Chief Sub Editor with over eight years of experience — both at the desk and reporting.