NEET Aspirant death case: Bihar govt hands probe to CBI, cops suspended
Bihar: Considering the seriousness of the recent mysterious death of a student preparing for the NEET exam at a hostel in Patna, the Bihar government has now handed over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Till now, the police have already made several significant revelations, and now this step adds a new development to this high-profile case.
Meanwhile, based on the investigation's findings, both the SIT and CBI teams have begun DNA profiling of potential suspects. Investigators recovered a personal diary and a mobile phone from the student's hostel room. Forensic analysis of the mobile phone revealed that the student had searched online for information about cyanide and sleeping pills on December 24.
However, the police sources said that the entries in the diary provided crucial information about the student's mental state and personal problems, which is now being considered a key input for the CBI investigation, according to ETVBarat.
In addition, a major administrative action has been taken, where the Additional Station House Officer (ASHO) of Kadamkuan and the Station House Officer (SHO) of Chitragupta Nagar have been immediately suspended with immediate action. On this, Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya Sharma stated that this action was taken due to delays in sharing information and negligence of duty. However, timely reporting could have helped preserve crucial evidence.
According to Patna police, initial investigations revealed that the victim's family had initially tried to suppress the incident and prevent the filing of a First Information Report (FIR). However, based on information received from the hospital, the police took suo motu cognisance of the case.
The victim was being treated at Prabhat Memorial Hospital from January 6 to January 10, where her condition remained critical. The hospital's initial report attributed the death to a drug overdose. However, a subsequent report from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) found traces of semen on the student's undergarments, indicating that the possibility of sexual assault cannot be ruled out.
Medical Dialogues had recently reported that a 35-kilometre protest march was held on Tuesday in Jehanabad district, demanding action in the NEET aspirant death case. The protesters demanded the immediate arrest and punishment of those responsible for the alleged rape and murder of the student.
