Jehanabad (Bihar)

The father of the NEET aspirant, who recently died after remaining in a coma for several days in a Patna hospital, has sought a judicial probe into the incident, expressing dissatisfaction with the police investigation, and threatened self-immolation if the family does not get justice.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing into the case, collected DNA samples of a number of persons, including some family members of the 18-year-old deceased, and sent to a forensic lab for profiling.

The NEET aspirant and a resident of Jehanabad, who was preparing for the medical entrance exam NEET, was found unconscious in her hostel room in Patna's Chitragupt Nagar earlier this month. She died at a private hospital on January 11 after remaining in a coma for several days. Her family had alleged that she was sexually assaulted, accusing authorities of attempting a cover-up.

Talking to media persons in Jehanabad, the victim's father said, "We don't trust Bihar Police. We are not satisfied with the investigation of the SIT. Its officials are harassing us. I want a judicial probe into the incident and the team should be headed by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court or the high court. We want justice for the family as well as our daughter. If I don't get justice, I may go for self-immolation."

Holding the hostel and hospital authorities responsible in this case, he said, "Local police officials are also involved in diverting the probe."

To a question on the suspension of two police officers in this matter, the father said that this indicates those officers were not taking the investigation in the right direction.

Meanwhile, SIT officials on Tuesday got DNA samples of a number of persons, including some family members/relatives of the deceased, collected at a local government hospital and sent them to a forensic lab for profiling.

Patna Police last week suspended two police officers on charges of dereliction of duty. These two officials are not part of the SIT.

The police recently claimed that a forensic report of the student's clothes, which she wore at the time of hospitalisation, detected traces of semen.

The latest finding suggests sexual assault and harassment of the NEET aspirant.

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"DNA profile of the semen is being obtained, and it will be matched with the DNA profiles of the arrested person and other suspects. That is why the DNA samples are being collected from several persons as part of the investigation into the case," said a senior police official on the condition of anonymity.

One person, an employee of her hostel, was arrested.