Ahmedabad, July 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prashantkumar Patel, father of 17-year-old NEET aspirant Kahaan Patel, whose death by suicide amid the NEET-UG 2026 controversy sparked nationwide concern, has welcomed the Centre’s proposed amendments to strengthen India’s anti-paper leak law, saying faster investigations, time-bound trials and stricter punishment are essential to restore public faith in the examination system.
A criminal lawyer by profession, Patel said he supports the proposed reforms, which are expected to be introduced in Parliament on Monday. The amendments seek to strengthen the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act by prescribing tougher penalties for paper leak offences, including higher prison terms and steeper fines, while introducing fixed timelines for investigations and judicial proceedings.
Patel said judicial delays often frustrate victims and their families, adding that expeditious investigations, day-to-day hearings and timely disposal of appeals would significantly improve the justice delivery system. However, he stressed that effective implementation would determine the success of the proposed reforms.
The proposed legislation envisages completion of investigations within two months, fast-track trials within three months of filing chargesheets, and disposal of appeals, wherever possible, within another three months. It also proposes enhanced punishment of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and fines up to ₹50 lakh for paper leak offences, with even stricter penalties for organised examination fraud syndicates.
Kahaan Patel died by suicide on June 18 after the original NEET-UG examination held on May 3 was cancelled following allegations of a nationwide paper leak. His father said the teenager had expected to score around 650 marks and was devastated after the announcement of a re-examination, believing that months of hard work had been rendered meaningless.
Following his son’s death, Patel visited student protest sites in Delhi and extended support to demonstrations demanding accountability in the examination scandal. He also criticised the police action against protesting students, saying peaceful demonstrations should have been handled differently.
Referring to the recent resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who stepped down citing moral responsibility for the crisis, Patel said the development brought him some emotional closure. However, he maintained that meaningful reforms, rather than resignations alone, were necessary to prevent similar tragedies.
He said he would closely watch Parliament’s deliberations on the proposed legislation, expressing hope that stronger laws and timely justice would ensure future students do not endure the hardships experienced by his son and thousands of other aspirants.
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