SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, April 12: In a dramatic breakthrough just days before the scheduled April 15 hearing, the Bokaro police cracked the case of a missing 18-year-old girl under intense scrutiny from the Jharkhand High Court.
The police arrested the accused and recovered the victim’s skeletal remains, along with key evidence, in what appears to be a last-minute push amid mounting judicial pressure.
The development not only solved the case but also exposed serious lapses and alleged collusion within the local police, leading to the unprecedented suspension of all 28 personnel of the Pindrajora police station.
The case began on July 24, 2025, when Rekha Devi reported that her 18-year-old daughter, Pushpa Mahto, had been abducted. In a glaring lapse, the FIR was registered only on August 4—10 days later—raising serious concerns over the initial handling of the case.
For months, there was little progress. The turning point came on February 27, 2026, when the Jharkhand High Court took up the matter through a habeas corpus petition and began direct monitoring.
HC sits thrice in a day, cracks down on Bokaro Police
In a rare and intense development, the High Court held hearings three times in a single day on April 9, reflecting the gravity of the situation. The division bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad first heard the matter during regular proceedings, then reassembled at noon, and again convened a special post-lunch sitting.
Shocking allegations of custodial assault, intimidation, and police interference triggered the repeated hearings. The petitioner informed the court that her relatives were being targeted. One relative, Samapad Mahato, was allegedly picked up and brutally assaulted, suffering serious head injuries and neurological complications.
Even during the hearings, fresh allegations emerged that another relative was being threatened to give false statements. The court observed that such actions prima facie amounted to interference in the administration of justice.
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Taking serious note, the court summoned the DGP, who appeared via video link. The bench made it clear that accountability would be enforced and warned that any harm to the victim’s family would lead to personal responsibility of the Bokaro SP.
The court also ordered an independent medical examination of the injured relative at the Army Hospital in Ranchi and directed submission of reports in a sealed cover.
Breakthrough before hearing exposes police complicity
Under mounting judicial pressure, a new SIT led by DSP Alok Ranjan was constituted. In a dramatic breakthrough just ahead of a scheduled hearing, the team solved the case within a day.
The accused was arrested, and based on his confession, the police recovered the skeletal remains of the victim, her clothes, and the knife used in the murder.
The official press release from the Bokaro SP office revealed serious irregularities in the earlier investigation. It stated that instructions were ignored, the case was deliberately weakened, and efforts were made to benefit the accused.
It further disclosed that some police personnel were involved in financial dealings with the accused and had even partied with him, raising grave concerns about collusion and misconduct. The conduct of officials was termed “suspicious,” and the confidentiality of the investigation was not maintained.
Entire police station suspended, systemic failure exposed
In an unprecedented move, all 28 personnel posted at Pindrajora police station—from constables to the station in-charge—were suspended with immediate effect and placed on subsistence allowance.
The suspended include 10 Sub-Inspectors, 5 Assistant Sub-Inspectors, 2 Head Constables, and 11 Constables.
The case has also drawn parallels with a 2020 Bokaro incident where a missing woman was later found murdered after police inaction, a fact noted by the High Court during hearings.
Despite the breakthrough, serious questions remain over systemic failures—delay in FIR, mishandling of suspects, alleged torture of relatives, and possible shielding of the accused by local police.
With the High Court continuing its close monitoring and the next hearing scheduled for April 15, the focus has now shifted from merely solving the case to fixing accountability within the police system.
