Please Give Me One More Chance": A Tragic Tale of Pressure, Expectations, and a Life Cut Short
June 2025 — India
In a heartbreaking and deeply disturbing incident that has sent shockwaves across the nation, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly beaten to death by her own father after scoring low marks in a pre-NEET mock test. Her final words, reportedly a desperate plea — “Please give me one more chance” — now echo as a haunting reminder of the extreme pressures Indian students face in the competitive pursuit of academic success.
The Incident
According to police reports and media sources, the teenage girl, a student from Tamil Nadu, was preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), a high-stakes examination for medical college admissions in India. Following a below-expectation score in a mock test, the father — who had high aspirations for his daughter to become a doctor — lost control in a fit of rage. What began as harsh scolding tragically escalated into physical violence. The girl, in tears and fear, begged for mercy, pleading for just one more chance to prove herself. But those words would be her last.
She succumbed to her injuries before medical help could arrive.
A Culture of Crushing Expectations
This devastating event is not an isolated one. Across India, students face immense pressure from parents, schools, coaching institutions, and society at large to perform in exams like NEET, JEE, and board tests. For many families, particularly those from modest backgrounds, a child becoming a doctor or engineer represents a ticket to upward mobility and social status. In this process, the child’s mental health, well-being, and individuality are often ignored.
In some households, failure — or even perceived failure — is equated with shame. The line between discipline and abuse blurs dangerously. A culture of fear replaces love and support. Tragically, some parents, in their obsession with success, forget the humanity of their own children.
Mental Health Crisis Among Students
India has one of the highest suicide rates among students in the world. According to NCRB data, nearly 13,000 student suicides were reported in 2022 alone — many linked to academic stress. While conversations around mental health are growing, societal attitudes still stigmatize emotional struggles. Most schools lack trained counselors. Few parents are educated on handling stress in children constructively.
Justice and Accountability
The father in this case has been arrested and charged with murder. But justice for the victim will mean more than a conviction. It must be a wake-up call for all stakeholders — parents, educators, policymakers, and society at large.
We must ask ourselves: How many more children must cry out “Please give me one more chance” before we act?
The Way Forward
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Parental Awareness: There is an urgent need for campaigns to educate parents about mental health, compassionate parenting, and recognizing the signs of stress and depression in children.
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Exam Reform: The obsession with entrance exams as the sole gateway to success must be rethought. Alternative paths, holistic evaluation, and reducing the burden of high-stakes testing are crucial.
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Support Systems: Every school and coaching center must provide access to trained counselors. Mental health care must be normalized and accessible.
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Empathy Over Expectation: Above all, children need love, understanding, and space to fail and grow. A low grade should never be a death sentence.
Conclusion
The loss of this 16-year-old girl is more than just a family tragedy — it is a societal failure. Her plea, “Please give me one more chance,” must now become a call to change. No child should ever have to fear their own home. No dream is worth a life.
Let this be the last. Let us do better — for her, and for every child who dares to dream.
A 16‑Year‑Old’s Final Plea Amid Horrific Exam Pressure
Atpadi, Sangli district, Maharashtra – June 20–21, 2025:
In a disturbing reflection of the brutal pressure Indian students face, 16‑year‑old Sadhana Bhosle was violently beaten to death by her father after receiving low marks in a pre‑NEET mock test. Her final words—“I will study better next time. Please give me one more chance”—echo as a chilling symbol of suffocating academic expectations reddit.com+15indianexpress.com+15onmanorama.com+15.
🏠 What Happened That Night
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Family circumstances & the trigger:
Sadhana, a Class 12 NEET aspirant from Nelkaranji village, had just returned home on June 18 from the hostel where she had been staying. After dinner on June 20, her father, Dhondiram Bhagwan Bhosle, a teacher and school principal, confronted her over her low marks in a college‐conducted preparatory test indiatoday.in+7indianexpress.com+7indianexpress.com+7. -
The assault:
Angered by her poor performance, Bhosle allegedly beat Sadhana mercilessly with the thick wooden handle of a stone grinder. Both her mother and brother witnessed the horrific scene mid-day.com+3indianexpress.com+3indianexpress.com+3. Her mother later recalled how Sadhana screamed her plea to be forgiven and allowed another chance dailypioneer.com+5indianexpress.com+5indianexpress.com+5. -
Aftermath:
Sadhana collapsed unconscious. Her brother alerted a family doctor, who advised rushing her to the hospital. She succumbed to internal injuries and head trauma on the morning of June 21 at a private hospital in Atpadi republicworld.com+4indianexpress.com+4indianexpress.com+4. Her mother later filed a First Information Report (FIR) on June 22 republicworld.com.
⚖️ Police Action & Legal Proceedings
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The arrest:
Dhondiram Bhosle was arrested on June 22 and remanded to judicial custody shortly thereafter medicaldialogues.in+7indianexpress.com+7indiatoday.in+7. -
Charges pressed:
He faces accusations under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (homicide) and under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act for cruelty toward a minor indiatoday.in+2indianexpress.com+2indiatoday.in+2. -
Evidence from post‑mortem:
Authorities reported multiple serious injuries, consistent with severe assault dailypioneer.com+3indianexpress.com+3onmanorama.com+3.
🎓 The Broader Context: A Recurring Nightmare
Sadhana had scored over 92 % in her Class 10 board exams, fueling hopes she’d pursue a medical career. That dream tragically ended in her own home. Her story is, sadly, one of many: Indian students face immense stress and unrealistic parental expectations, particularly surrounding exams like NEET and JEE indiatoday.in+3medicaldialogues.in+3republicworld.com+3.
Reddit testimonies underline how common such anguished pleas and familial pressure are:
“I mean your child is already really stressed… Another one… a father who beat his daughter just because she got less marks in bio. He hit her till she was bleeding.” reddit.com
🧠 Mental Health & Academic Stress
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A tragic trend:
Survey data indicates thousands of student suicides annually in India, frequently tied to exam stress and academic failure. These tragedies highlight the devastating effects of narrow academic definitions of success. -
Impact of rigid systems:
The fixation on high-stakes exams as definitive gateways to careers like medicine or engineering leaves little room for failure and alternative paths.
📌 What Must Change
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Demanding Parental Reform:
Parents must be educated on compassionate parenting. Grades should never justify violence or coercion. -
Urgent Exam Reform:
Moving away from “one exam, one destiny” culture—exam boards and institutions must diversify evaluation paths and reduce unhealthy obsession with single high-stakes tests. -
Support Systems in Education:
Mandatory, accessible counseling services and mental health education in schools and coaching centers. -
Strict Legal Enforcement:
Timely intervention in domestic violence cases and strict penalties for parents using physical punishment. -
Cultural Shift:
As a society, we need to prioritize children’s emotional well-being over grades. Failure must be treated as part of learning—not grounds for punishment.
✨ Conclusion: A Wake‑Up Call
Sadhana’s plea, “Please give me one more chance,” is a heartbreakingly familiar refrain in classrooms and homes across India. But this time, a life was lost. Her death is not just a crime—but a symbol of systemic failure—to recognize education’s human dimension.
Her voice must catalyze change. No child should die under the weight of parental ambition. Let this be the turning point: toward empathy, support, and understanding. Let this tragedy not be in vain.
If you or someone you know is experiencing familial or academic pressure, consider reaching out confidentially for support—mental health professionals and helplines are available across India.
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