Patna: Two police officers have been suspended in connection with the rape and death of a NEET aspirant at Shambhu Girls’ Hostel in the capital, after serious lapses in the initial investigation came to light. Chitragupt Nagar police station SHO Roshni Kumari and Kadamkuan sub-inspector Hemant Jha were suspended late at night after senior officers admitted that there was negligence at the lower level in handling the case.
The action follows growing pressure over the handling of the case, which has remained controversial since the beginning. The victim, a student preparing for NEET, was found unconscious in her hostel room on January 6. She was taken to three hospitals in succession and died during treatment. From January 6 to 9, police presence at the scene was virtually absent. Neither the hostel nor the room was sealed, and no immediate forensic process was initiated.
Police sources said the SHO had full information about the incident from day one but allegedly ignored it. Action was taken only after three days, and senior officers were allegedly misled, causing major hurdles in the investigation.
Meanwhile, the forensic team has submitted its report to the Special Investigation Team (SIT). According to sources, sperm has been found on the victim’s clothes, confirming sexual assault. The forensic findings support the postmortem report from PMCH, which stated that sexual violence could not be ruled out.
From the start, the police investigation has been under question. Legal experts said the first 72 hours are crucial for collecting evidence, but during that period, the room, bed, clothes and bathroom were left unsecured. The SHO reportedly framed the incident as a suicide, a narrative that was initially carried forward by senior officers as well.
In earlier media scrutiny, it emerged that not just one but multiple officials failed in their duties. The SHO gave a misleading initial report, the ASP and SP treated it as a suicide, and even the SSP ruled out rape before the medical board’s findings were available.
Senior officers later admitted that there was no strong western disturbance in the system of investigation, but rather a chain of unverified assumptions. The ASP did not order a re-examination of the hostel or room, and the SP reportedly made public statements denying rape without waiting for the postmortem report. The SSP also dismissed the possibility of sexual assault before receiving the medical board’s conclusions.
Doctors’ opinions added to the confusion. An initial medical report denied rape but mentioned injuries on the body. However, the postmortem later found injuries on the neck, shoulders and chest, nail marks, genital trauma, tissue damage and signs of struggle, indicating forceful penetration. The report also suggested that more than one person could be involved.
After the matter escalated, police took several steps. A medical board conducted a video-graphed postmortem. The report was sent for a second opinion to a higher medical institute. The hostel warden and staff were questioned, and the hostel operator was sent to jail. CCTV footage and technical data, including call records, are being examined. Separate FIRs were also registered for arson, vandalism and protests that followed the incident.
The biggest action came when the DGP constituted an SIT to probe the entire episode. The SIT, led by an SP with two DSPs and two inspectors, is examining when police received information, why the FIR and daily diary entries were delayed, why the room and hostel were not sealed, and why early medical opinions were treated as final. It is also reviewing why three suspects were released, how the “suicide search” narrative emerged from the mobile phone, and why injury details were not recorded initially.
The victim’s family has accused the police of delaying the FIR and not taking the case seriously. They claim they repeatedly pointed out scratch marks on the body, but were ignored. The family has also alleged that hostel management tried to settle the matter to protect its reputation and offered money, while pressure was mounted not to pursue the complaint.
According to sources, the victim’s clothes, submitted by the family on January 10, were sent for forensic examination. The FSL report, now with the SIT, confirms the presence of sperm. DNA profiling is being prepared to match it with suspects.
Although senior Patna police officials have not officially confirmed receipt of the FSL report, the findings have intensified questions on where the rape took place and who is responsible. The SIT has already collected more than 100 GB of data, including digital evidence.
After the student’s death, there were large protests, stone-pelting and arson at the hostel, followed by a police lathi-charge on demonstrators. With suspensions now ordered and forensic evidence pointing clearly towards sexual assault, the focus has shifted to identifying the आरोपी and fixing accountability within the police system.
