TN student writes NEET in Kerala, dad accompanying him dies of heart attack

A 46-year-old man from Tamil Nadu, who accompanied his son to Kerala for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, (NEET) died of possible hart attack today as the aspiring doctor wrote the examination.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami conveyed his condolence to the kin of the deceased and announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh from the CM's Public Relief Fund.

Krishnasamy had travelled with his son Kasturi Mahalingam to Ernakulam in Kerala, where the student was allotted a centre to write the NEET 2018.

The father suffered a heart attack this morning when he was in a lodge after seeing off his son at the exam centre.

Expressing anguish over the incident, Palaniswami said a team of officials has been rushed to the neighbouring state to bring back the body. In an official release, he said the deceased was a resident of Vilangudi village in the delta district of Tiruvarur.

Krishnasamy, who suffered cardiac arrest was admitted to a hospital where he died, Palaniswami said. As Krishnasamy breathed his last, his son wrote the exam unaware of his father's fate.

"I have sent a team of Tamil Nadu officials to Ernakulam to assist Kasturi Mahalingam to take his father's body home after he completes writing NEET exam," the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister said Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan has spoken to her Kerala counterpart seeking assistance to bring Krishnasamy's body to back Tamil Nadu.

Ernakulam District Collector Saffrullah is taking swift steps to send Krishnasamy's body to his native village in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami said.

The death comes against the backdrop of the Centre facing flak from opposition parties for not allotting centres for all the Tamil Nadu students within the State.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET is conducted for selecting students to study medical and dental courses.