Nitish recommends CBI inquiry into medical aspirant death case

Patna: CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday recommended a CBI inquiry into the alleged rape and murder of a medical aspirant from Jehanabad in Patna. Nitish has written to the Centre, urging that the case registered at Chitragupt Nagar police station be handed over to the CBI to ensure a transparent, fair and impartial investigation.Sharing the development on social media, deputy CM Samrat Choudhary posted, “CM of Bihar Nitish Kumar has urged the govt of India to hand over the investigation to the CBI. The incident must be uncovered in a transparent and just manner.”The state home department has also issued an official notification recommending a CBI probe under the provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, which governs the functioning of the central agency. As law and order is a state subject, prior approval from both the state govt and the department of personnel and training (DoPT), govt of India, is mandatory for the CBI to take up a case outside its jurisdiction. The DoPT is expected to issue the required notification shortly.An official source said the CBI will register a fresh case based on the FIR lodged by Patna police. “CBI investigators are expected to collect all evidence gathered so far by the state police and conduct fresh recordings of statements from key parties, including suspects, the arrested individual, hospital staff, family members and the policemen who initially probed the case,” the source said.The development comes amid allegations by the deceased’s family of a cover-up by state police, persistent claims of sexual assault and deep distrust in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Bihar DGP on Jan 16. The family met the DGP but left in anger, refused to meet the deputy chief minister and returned to Jehanabad.The minor girl from Jehanabad, preparing for a medical exam, was found unconscious at a girls’ hostel in Patna on Jan 6, was shifted to hospitals, and died on Jan 11. The case fuelled widespread student protests, political outrage, and demands for accountability, with the family vowing to persist until full justice is achieved.