Patna: Investigators in the case of a NEET aspirant found dead in a Patna girls’ hostel have traced the purchase of sleeping pills linked to her death to a pharmacy in Jehanabad.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the incident used the batch number on the medicine to first identify the distributor. Police then examined the student’s travel history, narrowing down potential locations where she could have acquired the pills. This led the team to a medical store in Jehanabad, where the store owner confirmed that six strips of the same batch had been purchased on December 27 via an online payment of Rs 370. Photographs shown by the SIT helped the shopkeeper identify the buyer.
The investigation has now shifted focus to understanding how the pills reached the student and the circumstances surrounding their consumption. Police have not yet determined whether she was coerced, under duress, or acted voluntarily.
Mobile Search History Provides Key Clues
Police said that searches on the student’s mobile, revealed on January 13, included queries related to suicide and sleeping pills on December 24 and January 5. She travelled from Patna to Jehanabad with relatives on December 27 and returned by train on January 5. She was found unconscious in her hostel the following day and was admitted to a private hospital, where she remained until her death on January 11. Urine tests conducted on January 8 confirmed the presence of sleeping pills.
Police are treating the period between December 27 and January 5 as critical to understanding the chain of events. The driver of the vehicle used for her travel has been questioned, and forensic analysis of her mobile phone is underway to recover deleted information.
CCTV Footage and Hostel Investigation
The SIT has reviewed hostel CCTV footage but reportedly found no suspicious activity outside the student’s room. Investigators have visited the hostel multiple times to reconstruct her movements and activities.
Authorities have also examined hospital records to determine the treatment she received and the timing of police notification. A diary recovered from the student reportedly contains references to a close acquaintance, who is now under investigation.
The case continues to unfold as the SIT traces the origin of the sleeping pills and investigates the circumstances leading to the student’s death.
