The Jharkhand High Court on Monday issued a fresh directive in the high-stakes investigation of an 18-year-old girl missing from Bokaro since July 2025. A division bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad ordered that DNA samples from the parents of the girl be collected this Wednesday, May 6, at AIIMS Deoghar.
The move aims to resolve growing skepticism regarding a recovered skeleton that police claimed to be that of the victim’s.The court took a stern view of the procedural lag, noting that DNA testing had not been completed despite a prior order issued on April 17.
“The court took strong exception to the delay and gave a fresh directive to expedite the DNA test required for investigation,” said a high court advocate familiar with the matter.
Advocate Vincent Marki, who filed a habeas corpus petition on behalf of the girl’s mother, Rekha Devi, said, “The court has directed that blood samples from the girl’s parents be collected at AIIMS Deoghar on May 6 after it came to know that army hospital in Namkum did not have the facility. Additionally, the court ordered that the skeletal remains recovered by the police, which are alleged to be the girl’s, be transferred from RIMS to AIIMS, and subsequently sent to CFSL Kolkata for forensic analysis. The next hearing for the case has been scheduled for May 14,” Marki said.
The investigation into the disappearance of the student, Pushpa Kumari Mahto, took a dramatic turn last month. Following a confession from accused Dinesh Kumar Mahto, Bokaro police recovered skeletal remains behind Chas College.However, the victim’s family and their counsel have strongly disputed the police’s claims.
{{/usCountry}}The investigation into the disappearance of the student, Pushpa Kumari Mahto, took a dramatic turn last month. Following a confession from accused Dinesh Kumar Mahto, Bokaro police recovered skeletal remains behind Chas College.However, the victim’s family and their counsel have strongly disputed the police’s claims.
{{/usCountry}}Advocate Marky informed the court that the skeleton appears to be two to three years old, whereas the girl has been missing for only nine months. Furthermore, the remains were found in a high-traffic public area, leading the defence to suggest the bones could belong to another individual entirely.
The HC has previously characterised the case as a symbol of police negligence in the state. Though Rekha Devi reported her daughter missing on July 21, 2025, an FIR was not registered for 10 days. Significant action only commenced after the habeas corpus petition forced judicial intervention.
While the Bokaro SP has suspended 28 personnel from the Pindrajora police station for dereliction of duty, the bench remarked that penalising lower-level staff was “insufficient.” The court questioned why senior officers, including those of DSP, SP, and DIG rank, had not faced similar accountability.
A post-mortem report from RIMS Ranchi has been completed and will be submitted in a sealed cover. The bench will reconvene on May 14, when the DNA report is expected to finally confirm the identity of the remains.