An 18-year-old NEET aspirant from Gwalior allegedly shot himself with his father’s gun following low performance in the NEET 2025 answer key sheet on Tuesday. The results of the exam are yet to be declared. The student, Nikhil Pratap Rathore was reportedly devastated by his performance.
According to preliminary investigation, Nikhil had checked his NEET answer key sheet earlier that evening. When his parents inquired about his expected score, Nikhil matched his answer sheet with the answer keys. He became disaapointed upon realizing that his result was not as expected and he had scored much less. The disappointment reportedly triggered intense emotional distress in him and a short while later, Nikhil went into a room, took his father’s licenced pistol, and shot himself.
The sound of the gunshot sent the family rushing to the room, where they found him critically injured. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival. Maharajpura Police have seized the weapon and launched a full investigation into the case.
Speaking to India Today, CSP Nagendra Singh confirmed that the incident took place late Tuesday evening.
“We received information about a suicide by gunshot. A case has been registered, and the body was sent for post-mortem examination,” he said. Singh further stated that no suicide note was recovered from the scene. “The family told us that Nikhil was a bright and dedicated student. He had recently passed Class 12 with excellent marks. However, he was under immense stress after the NEET answer key sheet result did not meet his expectations, which may have driven him to take this extreme step.”
“The gun has been seized, and we are thoroughly investigating the matter from all possible angles,” CSP Singh added.
According to family members, Nikhil was a focused and dedicated student who took his studies seriously. His father personally accompanied him to coaching classes, and the entire family supported his academic aspirations. Nikhil’s elder brother is currently pursuing a BTech degree.