NEET aspirant dies by suicide in Haldwani, diary notes under probe

Haldwani: A 19-year-old NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh allegedly died by suicide at her PG accommodation in Haldwani on Tuesday evening, less than a month after she arrived in the city for coaching, with police examining handwritten notes in her diary to determine whether academic pressure, personal stress or any other factor led to the incident.Anjali Jatav, daughter of Raghuveer Jatav and a resident of Manipura Kolaras in Shivpuri district, had enrolled in a private coaching institute in Haldwani on May 30 and was taking demo classes, while regular classes were scheduled to begin later this month. Police said she moved to Haldwani on May 23 and was staying in a PG linked to the coaching institute. Her younger brother was also preparing for NEET in the city and has joined AIIMS Bhopal.Police were alerted after Anjali did not respond to repeated calls from a friend late on Tuesday. “Her friend informed us that Anjali was not answering phone calls and police received the information from dial 112. When the room was checked, she was found hanging,” a police officer said. She was taken to Sushila Tiwari Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.SP (city) Haldwani, Manoj Kumar Katyal said no suicide note was found, but books and diaries were recovered from the room.

“There are certain handwritten notes and lines inside her diary that offer potential clues regarding the circumstances or her state of mind leading up to this extreme step,” Katyal said.Police did not disclose the contents of the diary, saying it could affect the investigation. Officers said they were examining the diary entries, phone details, her conduct at the coaching institute, her laptop and statements of her parents, friends, roommates and institute staff.

Officials said she had not appeared in the NEET cycle held earlier this year and was preparing for a future attempt. There is no written complaint received from the family members, said Katyal.When asked whether anyone was suspected of abetment or wrongdoing, Katyal said, “The investigation is in its absolute nascent stage. We are exploring every angle. As of now, no individual’s direct culpability or guilt has come to the forefront.” Police said further action would depend on the post-mortem report, forensic examination of the diary and statements recorded during the investigation.