New Delhi

AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj, on Saturday, expressed grief over the death of an aspirant by suicide, allegedly due to stress after the NEET UG 2026 exam cancellation following a paper leak. Bharadwaj raised questions on the ongoing CBI investigation, alleging cover-ups to protect the real culprits.

The AAP Delhi President, along with former MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi and other AAP leaders, visited the house and met the family of the deceased NEET aspirant from Azadpur.

Speaking with ANI, Bharadwaj said that the aspirant had appeared for the NEET examination several times before to fulfil her age-old dream of becoming a doctor. Having missed the opportunity by just four marks last year, she said that she was confident of cracking the competitive exam this time. However, the cancellation of the exam and the news of the paper leak shook her, destroying her morale, because of which Bharadwaj said she took her life.

The AAP Delhi President urged the government to advise the youth against taking such drastic steps and ensure that such incidents of alleged irregularities are prevented.

"She had appeared for the NEET examination several times and aspired to become a doctor, and just last year, she had missed securing admission by a mere four marks--otherwise, she would have already gained entry into medical college. This was her final opportunity, and everyone was convinced that she would clear NEET this time around. However, she was deeply traumatised by the news that the NEET exam paper had been cancelled and subsequently leaked; shattered by this shock, she took her own life by hanging herself right there in her home. I believe that the government must reassure the nation's youth and appeal to them not to take such drastic steps and also needs to issue a firm statement guaranteeing that, henceforth, such incidents of paper leaks will not be allowed to recur," he said.

He further raised concerns about the investigation into the paper leak and questioned how a single professor could mastermind a leak of this scale. Slamming the government over the improper investigation of various crimes, Bharadwaj said that the real culprits, including "politicians and government officials" who were involved in these "illegal activities", should be named.

"Moreover, the current attempts at a cover-up, such as the claim that 'we apprehended the mastermind in just five days', must cease immediately. Can a single professor truly be the mastermind behind such a massive syndicate? You people cannot even solve a single rape case within a month, but you claim to have solved a case of this magnitude. The names of the real culprits, specifically those politicians and government officials under whose patronage these illegal activities are being conducted, must be brought to light," he stated.

The 20-year-old girl died by suicide in Delhi, following which her body was taken directly to a cremation ground without informing the police, on Thursday.

A Police Control Room (PCR) call was received at Adarsh Nagar Police Station on Thursday regarding a girl's dead body being brought to Kewal Park Shamshan Ghat without prior intimation to the authorities. During the inquiry, it was revealed that she had allegedly died by suicide by hanging at her residence. The family, unaware of the legal procedure, had taken the body directly for cremation.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday said it has identified and arrested a Chemistry professor involved in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case.

According to the CBI, the accused, identified as P V Kulkarni, is a Chemistry lecturer associated with the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency and allegedly had access to the NEET-UG 2026 question papers.

The agency said its investigation revealed that during the last week of April 2026, Kulkarni, along with another accused, Manisha Waghmare, organised special coaching classes for selected students at his residence in Pune. Waghmare was arrested by the CBI on May 14.

READ MORE: Najma Akhtar: Ex-VC played a key role in shaping India's educational growth

"During these coaching sessions, he dictated questions along with options and correct answers. The questions handwritten by students in their notebooks exactly matched the actual Chemistry paper of the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3, 2026," the CBI said. Kulkarni, who originally belongs to Latur, was arrested in Pune after extensive interrogation, the agency added.

The CBI said the investigation into the case is continuing.