SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, April 15: The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday raised serious questions over the identity of a skeleton recovered in the Bokaro missing girl case, directing senior police officials and forensic authorities to appear in person with complete records.
Hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Rekha Devi, a division bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad took on record a medical report submitted in a sealed cover by the Centre’s counsel, along with a supplementary affidavit filed by the petitioner.
Court Questions Police Claims
During the hearing, the state informed the court that after the investigation was handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 11, the skeletal remains of the alleged victim had been recovered.
However, the petitioner’s counsel cast doubt on the claim, arguing that the skeleton “does not appear to be of the corpus,” and referred to photographs placed on record.
The bench then questioned the state on what basis it had concluded that the recovered skeleton belonged to the missing girl. It also asked whether DNA samples of family members had been collected for forensic verification.
The state counsel admitted that such details were not clearly mentioned in the affidavit.
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DGP Unable to Clarify, Court Seeks Answers
The Director General of Police, Tadasha Mishra, appearing via video conferencing, told the court she did not have “authentic information” on whether proper forensic procedures had been followed or what exactly had been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
Taking note of the lack of clarity, the court directed the DGP, IG Bokaro, DIG Bokaro, SP Bokaro, the SIT team, and the Director of FSL to remain physically present in court on April 16 with the complete case diary and records.
The court also ordered that all records related to Pindrajora Police Station Case No. 147 of 2025 be produced through a special messenger.
Breakthrough Claim Amid Judicial Pressure
The case pertains to the disappearance of an 18-year-old girl, reported by her mother Rekha Devi in July 2025. The FIR was registered after a delay of 10 days, raising concerns over the initial police response.
The investigation saw little progress for months until the High Court began monitoring the case in February 2026.
In a dramatic development ahead of the April 15 hearing, the SIT cracked the case, arrested the accused, and recovered skeletal remains, along with other evidence, based on the accused’s confession.
Police Lapses and Mass Suspension
The case exposed serious lapses and alleged collusion within the local police. Authorities found that the investigation had been mishandled, with indications of attempts to shield the accused.
In an unprecedented move, all 28 personnel of Pindrajora police station were suspended, including officers from constables to the station in-charge.
The High Court had earlier also taken note of allegations of intimidation and assault on the victim’s relatives, warning of strict accountability.
With the identity of the recovered remains now under question, the court has shifted its focus to forensic verification and procedural accountability.
The matter will be taken up again on April 16, with senior officials required to explain the lapses and clarify the status of the investigation.