Bihar Board Exam Tragedy: Komal Kumari Dies After Entry Denied

Patna / New Delhi: A 15-year-old Class 10 student, Komal Kumari, allegedly took her own life on February 17, 2026, the first day of the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Matriculation exams, after being barred from entering her examination centre for arriving just 10-15 minutes late.

Komal Kumari, a resident of Kharjama (also spelled Khajamba or Kharjamba) village under Masaurhi police station limits, had been staying at her relatives’ home in nearby Maharajchak village since the previous day (Monday) to make it easier to reach her assigned exam centre in Barni (or Barani), approximately 6 kilometres away.

According to police and family accounts reported across multiple sources, heavy traffic delayed her journey on the morning of February 17. She reached the centre around 9:10-9:15 AM — shortly after the entry gate was closed at 9:00 AM as per strict BSEB guidelines, which typically allow entry only up to the scheduled start time with no grace period beyond that point in many centres.

Distraught and pleading for entry, Komal repeatedly requested the invigilators and staff to let her in, reportedly saying it was a matter of her career and future. Despite her appeals, she was not permitted inside.

Devastated, she returned to her relatives’ home. Later, in a state of extreme distress, she left the house, went to Nadaul, boarded a train on the Patna-Gaya railway line, and jumped from the moving train between Taregna and Masaurhi Court stations.

Railway police and local authorities recovered her body near the tracks close to Maharajchak village. She was rushed to a nearby hospital (reportedly the sub-divisional hospital), but she succumbed to her injuries.

Masaurhi police station in-charge Vivek Bharati confirmed that Komal’s mother, Sangeeta Devi, provided details about the sequence of events, linking the tragedy directly to the denial of entry due to the short delay. The family has alleged that the strict enforcement of timing rules contributed to her extreme decision.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage on social media and among education circles in Bihar, with many questioning the rigidity of exam entry protocols, the immense pressure on students during board examinations, and the lack of any discretionary leniency in exceptional circumstances such as traffic delays. Calls have grown for reviewing entry rules, providing better mental health support for examinees, and increasing awareness about handling exam-related stress.

BSEB officials have not yet issued an official statement on the matter, but the case has once again highlighted ongoing concerns about student suicides linked to academic pressure in the state.

Police have registered the incident and are investigating further. No foul play is suspected, and the death is being treated as a suicide.

Komal Kumari’s death has left her family, school community, and the local area in deep mourning, serving as a somber reminder of the devastating consequences that high-stakes examinations can sometimes carry for vulnerable young minds.