Hyderabad Neet Aspirant Sheikh Sana Dies Suicide Day Before Retest

According to police, a note was found at the spot, in which 19-year-old Sheikh Sana wrote, “No one is responsible for my death. I am taking my life.”

Sana’s parents live in Kuwait, and she was living in an apartment in Hyderabad’s Miyapur with her two younger siblings. “Their aunt (mother’s sister), who lives close by, would take care of the children,” Inspector P Shiva Prasad told The Indian Express.

According to officials, on Saturday, the three girls ordered breakfast through an online app and ate it. Then, Sana went into her room and locked it to study for the exam, her younger siblings, who are in classes 10 and 6, told police. “In the afternoon, the siblings knocked on Sana’s door to call her for lunch. She did not open,” Inspector Prasad said.

The NEET re-test, which Sana was scheduled to appear for, is being held on Sunday, June 21, after the original exam held on May 3 was cancelled following allegations of a question paper leak.

Police say they believe Sana was under “academic pressure”. She is believed to have died at around 1.30 pm. “We were informed of the suicide by evening,” said Prasad.

“She has been preparing for NEET for a year. We think that the academic pressure brought a lot of mental trouble for the young woman,” the inspector said.

There has been a string of suicides associated with NEET across the country, but Sana’s is believed to be the first one in Telangana.

According to police, the young student had completed her intermediate with a score of more than 90%.

Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More