CBI visits Patna girls’ hostel in NEET aspirant death probe

The investigation into the death of a NEET aspirant in Bihar’s capital gathered pace on Saturday as a team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) visited the girls’ hostel where the student was found unconscious last month.

The central agency had formally taken over the case on Friday and registered an FIR , following mounting political pressure and demands from the victim’s family for an independent probe.

The student, a native of Jehanabad, was discovered unconscious on January 6 at the Shambhu Girls’ Hostel in Chitragupt Nagar, Patna. She was rushed to a private hospital, where she remained in a coma for five days before succumbing.

Her death triggered widespread outrage and political reactions across Bihar, prompting the state government to hand over the investigation to the CBI on January 31.

On Saturday, CBI officials, accompanied by Patna Police personnel, inspected the hostel premises and questioned staff members to reconstruct the sequence of events. Sources indicated that the agency may also recreate the crime scene if required, including visits to the hostel and the hospitals involved.

The victim’s family has alleged sexual assault and accused local authorities of attempting a cover up in the initial stages of the investigation. Earlier, the police arrested a hostel employee in connection with the case.

A Special Investigation Team had collected blood samples from around 30 individuals for DNA testing as part of its probe. The CBI is now expected to examine the findings before deciding the next course of action.

With the central agency stepping in, attention is now on whether the fresh probe will uncover crucial evidence and bring clarity to a case that has deeply shaken public sentiment in Bihar.