Chennai: Father of NEET aspirant who died by suicide kills self

He allegedly killed himself after he returned home from finishing his son’s cremation rituals, police said.

CHENNAI: The father of the 19-year-old boy who died by suicide allegedly after failing to clear the NEET exam twice, died by suicide early Monday morning. The police said that the man must have been depressed by the loss of his son.

P Selvasekar (48), a resident of Kurinji Nagar in Chromepet, ran a photo studio in the locality. His son S Jegadeeswaran was living with him. He had separated from his wife a few years ago.

He allegedly killed himself after he returned home from finishing his son’s cremation rituals, police said.

His body was sent to Chromepet Government Hospital for a postmortem.

A case has been registered and an investigation is on.

Selvasekar’s son Jegadeeswaran passed Class 12 from a CBSE school in Pallavaram in 2022. He appeared twice for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (medical entrance exam) but could not clear it.

On Saturday afternoon, Jegadeshwaran was alone in the house and killed himself.

Selvasekar had tried to reach his son on his mobile phone but as he did not answer, he sent their domestic help to check on the boy. She went to the house and found Jegadeeswaran dead.

Jegadeeswaran was taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead. His body was then sent for postmortem.

Chitlapakkam police have registered cases over both their deaths and are conducting inquiries. 

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said he was at a loss to console the family. “I offer my deepest condolences on the demise of student Jagatheeswaran and his father Selvasekhar (who also allegedly died by suicide). Let their deaths be the last on the altar of NEET,” Stalin said in a statement here.

Stalin also claimed that in a few months, when the political change takes place, then the NEET barriers will come crashing down.

“I appeal that no student should ever make a decision to take away their own lives under any circumstances. The NEET, which is a hurdle for your growth, will be scrapped. The state government is actively working on the legal initiative in this direction,” Stalin said in the statement.