Patna: The Bihar government has sought to project resolve and urgency in the investigation into the death of a NEET aspirant in Patna, with senior ministers insisting that no accused will be spared and that police have been granted complete operational freedom.
Responding to mounting public anger and opposition criticism, Bihar’s home minister and deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary said the state was determined to ensure accountability. “No criminal will be allowed to escape. Whoever is responsible will be sent to jail at all costs,” he said, adding that the government stood firmly behind the police.
Choudhary said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been constituted and was working independently under close supervision. “The Patna IG is monitoring the SIT. The DGP of Bihar is overseeing the entire matter. An ADG has also reviewed the case. The police have been given a completely free hand to take action,” he said.
The case has also drawn comment from Jitan Ram Manjhi, a Union minister and former Bihar chief minister, who said protests typically arise when governments are insensitive, but insisted that the present administration was acting decisively. Describing the incident as tragic, Manjhi said all possible steps were being taken, including parallel investigations.
“The SIT has been formed, and the CBI is also conducting its own inquiry,” he said. “It may take two days, four days or even ten days, but whoever has done this will face the consequences. There is no doubt about that.”
Meanwhile, the case has reached both the National Human Rights Commission and the Bihar Human Rights Commission. Advocate S K Khan has filed petitions before the commissions, seeking an investigation under the supervision of a retired judge, citing concerns over the seriousness of the allegations and the need for independent oversight.
According to officials, the student had returned to her hostel in Chitragupta Nagar, Patna, on January 5 after visiting her ancestral village in Jehanabad. The following day, she was found unconscious under suspicious circumstances and was admitted to a private hospital in critical condition. She died on January 11 while undergoing treatment.
