Hingoli boy dies by suicide, family say he was depressed after NEET-UG cancellation

3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jun 25, 2026 09:41 PM IST

The student, Sushil Dhage, a resident of Ashtavinayak Nagar in Hingoli city, allegedly jumped into a well on Wednesday evening.

An 18-year-old medical aspirant from Maharashtra’s Hingoli district allegedly died by suicide on Wednesday, with his family claiming that he had been struggling with depression after the cancellation of original NEET-UG examination he appeared for on May 3, amid the nation-wide paper-leak controversy.

Based on the parents’ claims, police are now investigating whether there was any link between the incident and the national level medical entrance test.

The student, Sushil Dhage, a resident of Ashtavinayak Nagar in Hingoli city, allegedly jumped into a well on Wednesday evening. Before taking the extreme step, he recorded a brief video message on his mobile phone addressed to his mother.

In the video, Sushil is seen apologising to his mother for ending his life. He further asks her to not stress about him and live well with Sumedh, one of his elder brothers who cleared tge NEET-UG last year and is currently studying BAMS course in Government Medical College in Washim.

The investigating officer, S G Ambhore, said, “The deceased’s kin have said that he was under depression after the NEET-UG paper held earlier was cancelled. He did not appear for the recently held re-exam.”

A hand-written note asking to check the gallery on his phone was found under his mobile phone kept outside of the well, barely 200 meters away from his home; wherein Sushil allegedly jumped to end his life. “The family has no complaint against anyone in this regard, as a result an accidental death report is filed and we are investigating further to verify any link between his death and the national-level entrance test,” said Ambhore.

Sushil came from a family surviving on the modest earnings of his mother who works as an helper in a local hospital. His father Vilas Dhage, who worked as an office assistant and ran errands at local offices, died of heart attack in December 2025.

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Gagan Bhat, a neighbour and close friend of Sushil’s father, said, “The family has faced immense hardships. Both Sumedh and Sushil were sincere students who wanted to build a better life for themselves. They prepared for NEET through online resources because enrolling in a coaching institute was simply unaffordable for the family. Sumedh secured admission to BAMS in a government medical college last year, after his second attempt at NEET-UG. The exam held on May 3, 2026, was Sushil’s second attempt. And he had high hopes of securing a medical seat, just as his brother had. But things changed after the examination was cancelled following the paper-leak controversy.”

Bhat said that he too began noticing a change in Sushil’s behaviour, after the May 3 exam was cancelled. “Someone who would play some sport every day, suddenly started staying at home mostly. He looked visibly sad and disappointed. That is why when re-examination was announced, we did not insist that he appear for it after he said that he did not want to. In fact we spoke about alternative career options. We never imagined he would take such a drastic step,” said Bhat.

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Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.

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