Patna: The investigation into the alleged rape and death of a NEET aspirant in Bihar will now be taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after DNA samples collected from 18 people failed to match biological evidence found on the student’s clothes.
The decision followed a request by the Bihar chief minister to the central government to transfer the case to the federal agency. Deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary confirmed the move in a post on social media, adding that the governor had also recommended a CBI inquiry. The Bihar Police have been directed to extend full cooperation to the agency.
According to sources, forensic reports submitted to the special investigation team (SIT) show that none of the DNA samples collected so far match the sperm detected on the student’s clothes during forensic science laboratory (FSL) examination.
Samples were taken from 18 individuals, including young men who frequently visited the Shambhu Girls Hostel where the student stayed, people associated with the hostel, those involved in taking her to hospital, as well as family members and close relatives. DNA samples of the hostel owner, Manish Ranjan, and his son were also tested, but no match was found.
Investigators had considered DNA matching a crucial lead, believing that even a single match could decisively establish the direction of the case.
Family rejects CBI investigation
Despite the transfer, the victim’s family has expressed strong dissatisfaction, rejecting the CBI probe and reiterating their demand for a judicial inquiry.
“We have been asking for a judicial inquiry from the very beginning. We never demanded a CBI investigation,” a family member said. “First the evidence was weakened through the SIT, and now the same weak case is being handed over to the CBI so that the truth never comes out.”
The family was called to meet the director general of police (DGP) at his official residence on Friday, where members of the SIT and senior officers were present. The meeting ended in anger, with the family leaving abruptly.
Later, they were asked to meet deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary, but refused and returned to Jehanabad instead.
The student’s mother alleged that during interactions with officials she was pressured to accept the suicide theory. “They told me, ‘Imagine your daughter committed suicide; she was not raped,’” she said. “No one is able to get justice for my daughter. Everyone has taken bribes – the DSP, the SP, everyone.”
Her son echoed the anger, saying the family had come to Patna expecting answers but were “only told nonsense”.
Opposition attacks government over probe
Leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav criticised the state government and police administration, questioning their ability to handle serious crimes. In a post on X, he wrote that Bihar’s administrative structure was “corrupt, incompetent, inefficient and unprofessional”, and incapable of solving a rape and murder case.
NEET छात्रा के दुष्कर्म और हत्या का उद्भेदन करने की बजाय बिहार सरकार ने केस को CBI को सौंपने का निर्णय लेकर फिर साबित कर दिया कि बिहार का प्रशासनिक ढाँचा भ्रष्ट, अयोग्य, अदक्ष और अनप्रोफेशनल है जो एक बलात्कार और हत्या के केस को भी नहीं सुलझा सकता। पुलिस से अधिक यह बड़बोली एनडीए…
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) January 31, 2026
Referring to earlier cases, including the disappearance of Navaruna, Yadav said the CBI had failed to deliver justice even after more than a decade in some investigations. “The same thing is going to happen in this case,” he said.
Sources say the SIT has completed its investigation and submitted a report to the home minister, Samrat Choudhary, reportedly concluding that no such incident occurred within Patna. Before making the findings public, officials attempted to brief the family, showing them CCTV footage and other evidence.
The family, however, has rejected the conclusions, raising serious questions about the credibility of the investigation.
Separately, a public interest litigation has been filed in the Patna high court by Sushma Kumari, through advocate Alka Verma, seeking court-monitored investigation. The petition calls for a probe conducted with “complete credibility and transparency” under the supervision of the high court.
