Patna: Fresh details have emerged in the investigation into the death of an 18-year-old female NEET aspirant who was found unconscious in her hostel room in Patna, Bihar, and later died after battling for life in a coma for five days. Her family had alleged that she was sexually assaulted. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report has now revealed the presence of male semen on her clothes, strengthening suspicions of sexual assault.

The woman was a resident of Jehanabad district. Her death at Shambhu Girls Hostel in Patna's Kankarbagh area under suspicious circumstances triggered widespread outrage in the city. Following massive protests, an SIT team was formed to investigate the matter. The hostel's owner, Manish Kumar Ranjan, was also arrested.

The case also raised questions over the accountability of the police investigation since the police had earlier suggested drug overdose and suicide as probable causes of death. The family has also accused the police of pressuring them to drop the case and of offering them a bribe.

It is to be noted that after the woman's death, the police had ruled out sexual assault. However, both the post-mortem report and the FSL report have strongly suggested sexual violence. The post-mortem was conducted at Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH), where doctors found injuries on the woman's body that pointed towards sexual violence.

Meena Tiwari, General Secretary of the All India Progressive Women’s Association, earlier questioned the police's haste and asked whether any external pressure had influenced their actions. She said that it is the police’s responsibility to investigate a case thoroughly, not to arrive at conclusions prematurely.  "Instead of researching and investigating, they directly issued a statement that there was no rape, and it was almost like a judgment. That too, before the post-mortem report came.  The duty of the police is to collect facts and place them before the court. It is the court’s job to deliver judgment, not the police’s," she added.