NEET suicide victim Kahaan Patel’s father backs the Centre’s proposed anti-paper leak law reforms, supporting faster investigations, fast-track trials, stricter punishment and stronger accountability to restore confidence in India’s examination system after the NEET-UG 2026 controversy.
The father of 17-year-old NEET aspirant Kahaan Patel, whose death by suicide became one of the most tragic incidents linked to the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, has expressed strong support for the Centre’s proposed amendments to strengthen India’s anti-paper leak law. Ahead of the proposed legislation being introduced in Parliament, Prashantkumar Patel said the reforms could help restore public trust in the country’s examination system, provided they are implemented effectively.
A criminal lawyer by profession, Prashantkumar Patel welcomed the government’s move to introduce stricter legal provisions aimed at preventing examination fraud. He particularly endorsed proposals for time-bound investigations, fast-track court proceedings, tougher punishments and enhanced legal mechanisms to curb organised paper leak networks.
Speaking on the issue, Patel said any initiative that ensures quicker judicial proceedings deserves support. He noted that repeated delays in courts often leave victims waiting for justice, making fixed timelines for investigations, trials and appeals a significant step forward.
According to the proposed amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, the minimum punishment for paper leak offences is expected to increase from three years to five years, with imprisonment extending up to ten years and fines reaching Rs 50 lakh. Organised paper leak syndicates could face a minimum prison term of seven years along with fines of up to Rs 10 crore.
The draft legislation also proposes specialised investigative teams to handle examination fraud cases. Investigations are expected to be completed within two months, while fast-track courts would conduct day-to-day hearings and conclude trials within three months of filing charge sheets. Appeals would also be disposed of within another three months wherever possible.
Patel said such reforms could significantly improve confidence in the criminal justice system but stressed that effective implementation remains the key challenge.
“Governments have announced fast-track courts before. The real issue is whether these timelines will be followed at the grassroots level. Still, recognising the need for reforms and introducing these amendments is a positive step,” he said.
Kahaan Patel died by suicide on June 18 after the Centre cancelled the original NEET-UG examination held on May 3 following allegations of a nationwide paper leak and announced a re-examination.
According to his father, Kahaan had been confident of scoring nearly 650 marks in the original examination. Coaching institute assessments had estimated his expected score at around 649 before the exam was cancelled.
Patel said his son became emotionally devastated after learning that the examination would be conducted again. He believed that months of hard work had effectively been rendered meaningless by circumstances beyond his control.
The grieving father recalled that Kahaan had become increasingly frustrated with the examination system, though the family did not fully understand the extent of his emotional distress until after his death. Friends and teachers later revealed that they had noticed significant changes in his behaviour in the days leading up to the tragedy.
Following his son’s death, Patel travelled to New Delhi and visited student protest sites at Jantar Mantar, where demonstrators demanded accountability for the paper leak, stronger examination safeguards and justice for affected students. He said witnessing students continue peaceful protests despite police action convinced him to support their movement.
Patel also welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, describing it as an important act of accountability. However, he emphasised that meaningful reforms must extend beyond political resignations and translate into systemic improvements.
He further revealed that he had privately observed a personal fast after witnessing the determination of protesting students, saying it was his own way of standing in solidarity with those seeking justice.
The NEET-UG 2026 controversy erupted after allegations that the May 3 examination paper had been leaked before the test. The Centre subsequently cancelled the examination, transferred the investigation to the CBI and conducted a nationwide re-examination on June 21 involving more than 20 lakh candidates. The controversy sparked nationwide protests, legal challenges and widespread debate over the integrity of India’s examination system.
| Also Read: Supreme Court resumes Ram temple donation case hearing Monday |
With Parliament expected to debate the strengthened anti-paper leak legislation, Prashantkumar Patel expressed hope that the proposed reforms would ensure faster justice, stricter punishment for organised examination fraud and a more transparent examination system, preventing future students from experiencing the hardships faced by his son and thousands of other aspirants.
