A young NEET aspirant tragically ended his life in Odisha’s Bhadrak district last night, allegedly succumbing to intense mental stress over concerns about his performance in the medical entrance exam.

The deceased has been identified as Jyoti Prakash Barik, son of Giridhari Barik, a resident of Nunda village under Tihidi block.

According to sources, the family stayed in a rented accommodation behind the Treasury office under Town police limits and ran a tea stall. Jyoti appeared for the first NEET test last year while studying in Bhubaneswar, scoring 330 marks. He returned to Bhadrak thereafter and began preparing for the second time at home, taking the test again on May 3.

However, he was plagued by severe anxiety, fearing that his recent attempt had also not gone well. Believing that another setback would derail his aspirations of becoming a doctor and ruin his future prospects, he allegedly took the extreme step.

Family members reported that Jyoti was alone at home last night when the incident occurred, and he is believed to have died by hanging. He was rushed to the Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

The boy had scored over 500 marks in his Class X exam. Upon being informed, Bhadrak Town Police visited the scene, registered an unnatural death case, and launched an investigation into the matter.