Patna: Tension gripped the Kadamkuan area of the city after the body of a 15-year-old girl, identified as Shruti Kumari, was found near Sulakshana Apartments on Nala Road on 24 November. What began as a routine police inquiry escalated into violent protests as the girl’s family and locals accused police of negligence and alleged that the teenager was raped and murdered, not a victim of suicide.
A crowd gathered at the spot on Thursday morning, blocking the road and setting fire to debris. Slogans were raised as tempers spiralled, prompting police to use mild lathicharge to disperse protesters. A heavy security deployment, including the Town DSP, station officers and additional personnel, was rushed to control the situation.
Family rejects police suicide theory
According to the police, the girl was “mentally unstable” and is believed to have jumped from the roof of the residential building. Her slippers were recovered from the terrace, and officers maintain there are no signs suggesting foul play at this stage.
Her family, however, strongly disputes this. Shruti’s relatives claimed that her face was so badly disfigured that even her father could not recognise her at first. She had been missing since Sunday. Gungun, a young woman from the neighbourhood who joined the protest, described Shruti as “a quiet girl who cared only about her studies, had no mobile phone, and visited the temple every day.” She insisted that “something wrong has happened to her… this is not suicide.”
CCTV seized, FSL team on site
Police have cordoned off Sulakshana Apartments and reviewed around half a dozen CCTV cameras. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team inspected the site, collecting material evidence from the rooftop and the compound where Shruti’s body was discovered.
Residents of the building said they did not hear or witness anything at the time of the incident. One man told reporters he saw the crowd early in the morning and only later learned a body was lying in a nearby lane.
The girl’s body remained in the compound overnight before being discovered by a man who had gone to water the plants. Officers recorded that she was cremated on Sunday afternoon.
This development follows an earlier report by Patna Press.
Police continue investigation amid rising anger
Town DSP Rajesh Ranjan reiterated that preliminary investigation suggests a fall from height, adding: “The body of a 15-year-old girl has been recovered. Her slippers were found on the terrace. We are investigating every angle.”
Authorities promise that the postmortem report, CCTV footage analysis and forensic findings will determine the cause of death.
