NEET aspirant death case: Forensic test finds semen traces on clothes, two police officials suspended
Patna: The probe into the death of an 18-year-old NEET aspirant in Patna took a serious turn on Sunday after a forensic examination of her clothes reportedly found traces of semen, pointing to the possibility of sexual assault.
Police officials said the Special Investigation Team, which is handling the case, will now extract a DNA profile from the samples found during forensic testing. The DNA will be matched with that of the arrested accused as well as other suspects to determine any connection.
In a separate development, Patna Police on Saturday night suspended two officers for alleged negligence in the case. Hemant Jha, additional officer-in-charge of Kadamkuan Police Station, and sub-inspector Roshni Kumari, officer-in-charge of Chitragupt Nagar Police Station, were placed under suspension for dereliction of duty.
The student, a resident of Jehanabad, had been staying at Shambhu Girls Hostel in Patna’s Chitragupt Nagar while preparing for the NEET medical entrance exam. She was found unconscious in her hostel room earlier this month and was admitted to a private hospital. After remaining in a coma for several days, she died on January 11.
Her family had alleged that she was sexually assaulted and accused authorities of attempting to cover up the incident. The case sparked protests in Patna, following which police arrested the owner of the girls’ hostel. An SIT was formed to carry out a detailed investigation.
According to a statement issued by the office of the senior superintendent of police, the clothes the student was wearing at the time she was taken to hospital were handed over by her family on January 10 and later sent for forensic analysis. The report confirmed the presence of semen stains on her leggings. Investigators will now proceed with DNA profiling and matching.
Initial medical findings had suggested that the student may have consumed a large number of sleeping pills and was also suffering from typhoid. On January 13, police had stated that doctors found no signs of sexual assault and that CCTV footage did not indicate any such incident.
However, the post-mortem report later noted injuries to her private parts and nail abrasions on her body. It stated that the possibility of sexual violence could not be ruled out.
Meanwhile, a five-member medical board at AIIMS Patna reviewing the case said it has not yet received all crucial documents from the SIT to arrive at a final opinion.
Dr Binay Kumar, professor of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at AIIMS and head of the board, said the documents provided so far were not sufficient to draw a conclusion. He added that the board is still waiting for key papers related to the case while the SIT continues its investigation.
(with inputs from agencies)
