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The Jharkhand High Court has taken a stern view of the investigation into the disappearance of an 18-year-old student from Bokaro district, ordering a DNA test of skeletal remains recovered by the police.
A division bench comprising Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad directed that the Central Forensic Science Laboratory conduct the DNA examination.
To ensure transparency, the court also ordered that the post-mortem take place at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences rather than in Jamshedpur.
During the hearing, senior officials, including the Jharkhand DGP, Bokaro SP, the Forensic Science Laboratory Director, and members of the Special Investigation Team, appeared before the court.
Expressing concern over delays, the bench directed the Solicitor General to ensure that samples of the skeleton and those of the victim’s parents are collected and sent to Kolkata within 48 hours.
The state government must submit a progress report within two weeks.
While the DGP assured the court that the case would conclude at the earliest, the government stated that it has suspended 18 police personnel for dereliction of duty.
The court, however, observed that action against lower-level staff alone is insufficient and stressed the need to fix accountability at higher levels.
Case Background
The case relates to the alleged kidnapping of student Pushpa Kumari Mahto, registered in August 2025. The investigation saw little progress for months until her mother, Rekha Devi, approached the High Court through a habeas corpus petition, prompting renewed police action.
Police later arrested accused Dinesh Kumar Mahto and recovered a skeleton based on his disclosure.
Counsel for the petitioner, Vincent Rohit Marky, raised concerns that the remains may not belong to the missing girl.
The DNA report will now be crucial in determining the identity of the recovered remains and the direction of the investigation.
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