Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Sunday announced that his party would extend legal support to the family of a deceased NEET aspirant, an 18-year-old girl whose death has triggered protests and raised serious questions about the handling of the case by the authorities.
The teenager, a resident of Bihar’s Jehanabad district, was found unconscious earlier this month in a room at a girls’ hostel in Patna’s Chitragupt Nagar area, where she had been staying to prepare for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
She was admitted to a city hospital and remained in a coma for several days before succumbing on January 11.
Speaking to reporters, Kishor said, "Our party has decided to provide legal support to the family members of the NEET aspirant. Our senior party leader and lawyer Y. V. Giri will fight the case for the family of the deceased."
The victim’s family has alleged that she was sexually assaulted and claimed that there were attempts by the authorities to suppress the matter. A special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the case.
Kishor also referred to the disciplinary action taken against police officers who were initially handling the investigation.
“We had sought disciplinary action against the woman investigating officer (IO) who initially probed the death of the NEET aspirant. The family believed that the IO, who was handling the case, was responsible for lapses, and, therefore, they wanted departmental action against her. Finally, action was taken against her by the Patna police,” he said.
On Saturday, the Patna police suspended Hemant Jha, additional officer-in-charge of Kadamkuan Police Station, and Roshni Kumari, officer-in-charge of Chitragupt Nagar Police Station, with immediate effect.
The suspensions were ordered on charges of dereliction of duty.
A statement issued by the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) added a new dimension to the case.
It said, “The forensic report of the student’s clothes, which she wore at the time of hospitalisation, detected traces of semen in the leggings. These clothes were provided by the family members of the victim on January 10. Now, SIT, investigating the case, will obtain a DNA profile from the semen detected, in the scientific report. It will also be matched with the DNA profile of the accused arrested and also with the suspects”.
According to a police officer, the latest forensic finding strongly suggests sexual assault and harassment of the NEET aspirant.
The student’s death led to large-scale protests in Patna, with demonstrators demanding a thorough investigation and accountability. Following the protests, police arrested the owner of the girls’ hostel where the student had been staying.
The case, however, has seen conflicting claims since the beginning. While the family consistently alleged sexual assault and abuse, the police had earlier stated that medical reports and CCTV footage ruled out such possibilities.
The post-mortem report added to the uncertainty, concluding that “sexual violence can’t be ruled out” as a reason behind the incident.