Patna: The Bihar State Human Rights Commission has taken cognisance of the death of a student preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) while staying at a private hostel in Patna, describing the matter as “extremely serious” and seeking a detailed report from the city’s senior police official within eight weeks.
The student, a resident of Jehanabad district in Bihar, had been living at Shambhu Girls Hostel in the Kankarbagh area of Patna while preparing for the highly competitive medical entrance examination. Her death has prompted allegations of possible criminal involvement, particularly in light of findings from the postmortem examination.
A petition was filed before the commission by S.K. Jha, a human rights lawyer based in Muzaffarpur, urging an impartial and high-level investigation into the circumstances surrounding the case. During the hearing, the commission issued a notice to the Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP), directing the officer to submit a comprehensive report within eight weeks.
Jha told the commission that the nature of injuries found on the student’s body and other surrounding circumstances indicated the possibility of a serious criminal offence. He sought an investigation to be conducted under the supervision of a retired judge to ensure transparency and accountability.
The commission has scheduled the next hearing in the case for April 22.
Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, visited the student’s family home in Jehanabad on Sunday. Officials questioned family members for several hours and examined various aspects of the case. Investigators seized several personal belongings, including books, notebooks, writing materials, clothing, a bag and a pair of scissors.
The agency has also taken possession of the mobile phone of the student’s brother, and is expected to analyse its call records and data as part of the inquiry.
According to family members, a special investigation team (SIT) from Bihar Police had arrived the previous night seeking to collect the student’s belongings, but the family refused to hand them over. The developments underscore the intensifying scrutiny of the case as multiple agencies examine the circumstances leading to the student’s death.
