Bihar govt recommends CBI probe into death of NEET aspirant in Patna
Patna: The Bihar government has recommended a CBI probe into the recent death of a female NEET aspirant in Patna, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said on Saturday.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Bihar Police is investigating the case.
The NEET aspirant, hailing from Jehanabad, was found unconscious in Shambhu Girls' hostel in Patna's Chitragupt Nagar earlier this month.
She died at a private hospital on January 11 after remaining in a coma for several days.
Her family had alleged that she was sexually assaulted, accusing authorities of attempting a cover-up.
"Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Jee has urged the Government of India to hand over the investigation of the NEET student's murder case in Patna (Case No- 14/26) to the CBI. The incident must be thoroughly uncovered in a transparent and just manner," Choudhary said in a post on X.
The deputy CM also holds the home portfolio.
The state home department also issued a notification recommending a CBI probe into the case under the provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, which governs the functioning of the country's premier investigation agency.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the central government will issue a notification, which is a mandatory requirement for initiating a CBI probe in a state-related case, in this regard.
According to rules, prior approval of the state and the DoPT is required to investigate a crime outside the agency's jurisdiction, as law and order is a state subject.
The parents of the NEET aspirant on Saturday alleged that police were trying to hush up the matter by denying any sexual assault of the woman and claiming that it was a case of suicide.
Her post-mortem examination report did not exclude the possibility of sexual violence, and this finding contrasts with police's initial claim that medical reports and CCTV footage had ruled out sexual assault. One person, an employee of her hostel, was arrested in connection with the case.
"The CBI may now register a separate case on the basis of the FIR registered by Patna Police. The agency sleuths will collect all evidence obtained by police and will also record the statements of suspects, the arrested person, hospital staff, family members and policemen, who had initially investigated the case and concluded it a case of suicide," according to an official.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the decision to transfer the case to CBI reflects the failure of the "loud-mouthed NDA government" that "boasts day and night" about catching criminals from the depths of the earth and the skies.
"Instead of exposing the rape and murder of a NEET student, the Bihar government has once again proved that its administrative machinery is corrupt, incompetent, inefficient, and unprofessional, incapable of even solving a case of rape and murder," Yadav posted on X.
He highlighted that in many cases like the Navruna incident, the CBI "closed the investigations" after "failing to apprehend the accused for 12-13 years", adding that "the same is likely to happen in this case as well."
Taking a dig at the NDA leaders, Yadav questioned, "Where are those who shouted 'jungle raj, jungle raj' during elections? Who will take responsibility for Bihar's collapsed and corrupt law-and-order system? Will there once again be attempts by the government to divert attention through headline management?"
