The body of a 30-year-old man was recovered on Monday morning around 8 from Hardinge Road, a VIP area housing residences of the chief minister, cabinet ministers and high court judges.

According to residents, some people saw the body and believing it to be unconscious, tried to wake him up. After getting no response, they informed police. Sachiwalya police station house officer R.K. Dubey said: "After examining the body, we came to know he was dead. The body was sent for a post-mortem. He was mentally challenged." Residents said the man frequented the Hardinge Road area.

The recovery of the body from the area raises doubts over security as the man was frequently seen in the area but neither residents nor officials admitted him to a mental asylum or hospital.

Sources said the district administration has no schemes for taking care of mentally challenged people roaming on roads. Mamta Jha, assistant director, social security, district administration, said: "At present, we don't have any care home for looking after mentally challenged people roaming on roads. The district administration has an After Care Home at Ghai Ghat where these people are admitted and taken care of but it is for females."

She said: "The Bihar State Institute of Mental Health and Allied Sciences is the lone hospital in Bihar for mentally challenged people, but only those people are treated who are admitted by their family members."

Neel Mani, member, Bihar Human Rights Commission, said: "There is no such law under which a mentally challenged person has to be admitted at a mental asylum by district administration officials."

He added: "It is the duty of the sub-divisional officer of the area to admit any mentally challenged man to an asylum if he/she creates nuisance or is involved in criminal activity, but the official has no such role looking for such people and getting them admitted."

According to residents, the youth hailed from Nawada and was living alone in a slum at Hardinge Road for the past few months. The man was also suffering from epilepsy, they said.

Chotu Kumar, a resident said: "The youth used to roam around the area and used to eat food given by the people."