Jharkhand HC Orders DNA Test on Skeleton in Missing Bokaro Teen Case

Ranchi (IANS): The Jharkhand High Court took a stern view of the sluggish investigation into the disappearance of an 18-year-old student from Bokaro and ordered a DNA test on skeletal remains that police claim to have recovered.

A division bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad directed the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Kolkata to conduct the DNA examination. To ensure transparency, the court ordered that RIMS in Ranchi, rather than Jamshedpur, perform the post-mortem on the remains.

The Jharkhand DGP, Bokaro SP, Director of the Forensic Science Laboratory, and members of the newly constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) appeared in person before the court during the hearing.

The court expressed strong displeasure over the slow pace of the probe. It directed the Solicitor General to ensure that officials collect samples from the skeleton and the victim’s parents and send them to Kolkata within the next 48 hours. The bench further asked the state government to submit a progress report within two weeks.

During the proceedings, the DGP assured the court that the SIT would conclude the case at the earliest. The government informed the bench that it has already suspended 18 personnel from the relevant police station for dereliction of duty. However, the court observed orally that punishing lower-level staff is not enough and that senior authorities must also accept accountability.

The case involves the alleged kidnapping of Pushpa Kumari Mahto in August 2025. The police remained inactive for months until the victim’s mother, Rekha Devi, filed a habeas corpus petition. Following the court’s intervention, police arrested the accused, Dinesh Kumar Mahto, and recovered a skeleton based on his information.

Petitioner’s counsel, Vincent Rohit Marky, expressed concerns that the remains might not belong to the student. The upcoming DNA report will now determine the identity of the recovered skeleton.