A fresh twist grips the investigation into a minor NEET student’s death in Patna after POCSO Act sections were formally added to the chargesheet. The Bihar administration’s revised order also integrates Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 64, granting CBI full authority for an exhaustive inquiry.
Recounting the horror: On January 6, the girl was found in a collapsed state in her room at Shambhu Girls Hostel, Chitragupt Nagar. Fellow residents and management ferried her to medical care, but she passed away on January 11 following intensive treatment.
Police first probed it as potential suicide, clashing with the bereaved family’s assertions of rape and deliberate killing. The January 9 FIR notably excluded POCSO, focusing on preliminary self-harm theories amid evolving evidence.
Court proceedings exposed critical gaps, with judges slamming the non-application of minor protection statutes amid assault suspicions. This judicial nudge led to governmental reassessment and the pivotal notification update.
Popular among NEET aspirants, the hostel now stands as a grim reminder of lurking dangers. CBI’s involvement promises meticulous unraveling of facts, potentially exposing negligence or criminality, and spurring enhanced safeguards for vulnerable students nationwide.