North India Statesman
News India Live, Digital Desk: Held at Shambhu Girls Hostel in capital Patna. Suspicious death of NEET student Now the judiciary has expressed displeasure over the slow pace of investigation in the case. The bail plea of hostel owner Manish Ranjan was heard in the special court, where the court made serious remarks about the lax attitude of the CBI.
Sharp questions from the court: During the hearing, the special judge asked the CBI officials what concrete action has been taken by the agency in the last 20 days after taking over the case? The court said, “Why has the CBI remained a mute spectator for 20 days? Did the agency not even know that the accused Manish Ranjan was already in judicial custody?” Emphasis on compensation and human rights: Raising the issue of individual liberty, the court asked that if a person is kept in jail without any solid evidence or due to slowness of investigation, then who will be responsible for it? The court directly asked, “If an innocent person remains behind bars, who will compensate him?”
POCSO Act and investigation: The biggest turning point in this case came when the court observed why the POCSO Act was not imposed initially despite the student being a minor and the post-mortem report indicating sexual violence. However, now after the notification of Bihar government, CBI has added sections of POCSO in this case. CBI has told the court in writing that at present they do not need the custody of Manish Ranjan, on which the court again raised questions on the necessity of his jail.
What is the whole matter? In January 2026, a student preparing for NEET was found unconscious under suspicious circumstances in a hostel in Patna, who later died during treatment. The family members had made serious allegations against the hostel owner, after which the police arrested Manish Ranjan. Now the investigation of this high-profile case is with CBI.
