Patna: Police in Bihar have expanded the investigation into the alleged rape and death of a NEET aspirant in Patna, with the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) collecting DNA samples from the victim’s immediate family and moving to test samples from hostel officials and hospital staff.
On Monday, forensic teams collected DNA samples from the student’s mother, father, uncle and brother at the family home in Jehanabad. Samples are also set to be taken from Manish Chandravanshi, the owner of Shambhu Girls’ Hostel where the student lived, and Anshu Agarwal, the hostel’s manager, officials said.
The move follows a forensic report indicating the presence of sperm on clothes belonging to the student, which had been handed over to police by the family on January 10. The report was submitted to the special investigation team (SIT) two days ago. Police said the samples would be matched against those of individuals currently under suspicion.
Investigators said the findings support the postmortem report from Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), which stated that sexual assault could not be ruled out.
A team from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) also visited the victim’s home in Jehanabad on Monday, questioning family members about her treatment and medication and collecting prescriptions. The team later returned to Patna. The student’s father, however, raised concerns about the manner of sample collection and the questioning process.
Separately, comments made by Dr Satish Singh of Prabhat Memorial Hospital have attracted attention. In a video recorded during Republic Day celebrations at the hospital on Monday, Singh is heard telling staff: “Prabhat Hospital has never worked under anyone’s pressure, nor will it ever. Let them hatch as many conspiracies as they want. I will expose each and every one.” The video, which runs for about a minute, has since circulated widely.
The investigation has also led to disciplinary action within the police. On Saturday, the senior superintendent of police suspended the Chitragupta Nagar station house officer, Roshni Kumari, and Kadamkuan sub-inspector Hemant Jha for alleged negligence. Bihar’s home minister, Samrat Choudhary, has since summoned the state’s director general of police, senior officers and the SIT, expressing dissatisfaction with the pace of the inquiry, according to officials.
The CID formally entered the case on Sunday, inspecting Shambhu Girls’ Hostel for about two hours. Officers declined to comment to the media after the visit.
In a letter to Bihar’s director general of police, the student’s father has called for an impartial investigation and set out eight specific demands. These include forensic examination of CCTV footage from the hostel and surrounding areas, scrutiny of call detail records of hostel owners, hospital doctors and staff, and statements from other students residing in the hostel. He has also questioned why the clothes his daughter was wearing were not handed over by the hospital, and why, despite test reports being available by January 8, she was not treated for suspected drug abuse.
The father has further sought clarification over the medical treatment provided in the days before his daughter’s death, disputing claims that sleeping pills were the cause and pointing to earlier explanations given by doctors regarding viral meningitis and a blood clot.
