Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Friday met the family of an 18-year-old NEET aspirant who died in Patna earlier this week and demanded a re-investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death, questioning the initial police findings.
Hours after Kishor raised concerns, Bihar Director General of Police Vinay Kumar ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.
After meeting the bereaved family, Kishor said the police appeared to have acted in haste by initially declaring the death a suicide. “The police first rushed to label it as suicide. Now they are saying sexual assault cannot be ruled out. This case must be re-investigated so that the family gets justice,” he told reporters. He also demanded that the role of officers who prematurely concluded it was a suicide be examined and strict action taken if lapses were found.
The student, who was preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), was found unconscious in her hostel room in Patna’s Chitragupt Nagar earlier this month, where she was staying to attend coaching classes. She died at a private hospital on January 11 after remaining in a coma for several days. Her family has alleged that she was sexually assaulted and accused authorities of attempting a cover-up.
The death triggered large-scale protests in Patna, following which police arrested the owner of the girls’ hostel. A post-mortem report later stated that the student died after consuming a large quantity of sleeping pills and that she was also suffering from typhoid. After the report went viral on social media, protests intensified, with critics pointing to alleged contradictions in medical findings.
Kishor further claimed that the family told him an investigating officer had suggested they “strike a deal” and let the matter go. “This is highly objectionable. I will help the family approach senior officers and ensure the culprits are brought to book,” he said.
Later in the evening, the DGP announced that the SIT would be headed by the Patna SP (City) and would include women deputy superintendents of police and inspectors. The Inspector General of Police of the Central Zone has been directed to supervise the probe on a daily basis.
Earlier, Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma said the scope of the investigation had been widened. He acknowledged contradictions between the post-mortem findings and earlier medical reports and said all documents had been referred to AIIMS Patna for expert opinion. “The investigation is being carried out based on the latest post-mortem report, and all those involved will be arrested soon,” he said.
