Ranchi (IANS): The Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Kolkata released a critical forensic report on Thursday, bringing a breakthrough in the case of 18-year-old Pushpa Kumari, who went missing nearly 11 months ago from Jharkhand’s Bokaro district. The report confirms that DNA extracted from a tooth of the recovered skeletal remains matches Pushpa’s DNA profile.
The Jharkhand High Court reviewed these findings on Thursday during a hearing on the matter. However, forensic experts have not yet completely matched the DNA of the entire skeleton with Pushpa’s parents.
The Disappearance and the Confession
Pushpa, a resident of the Pindrajora police station area in Bokaro, went missing on July 31, 2025. After failing to find any trace of her daughter for months, her mother, Rekha Devi, filed a habeas corpus petition in the Jharkhand High Court to compel authorities to find her.
During the subsequent investigation, police arrested a suspect, Dinesh Kumar Mahto, using technical evidence and interrogation data. According to the police, Mahto confessed to murdering the teenager. Following his confession, investigators recovered a human skeleton from a location he identified.
Family Disputes Police Claims
Despite the forensic match, Pushpa’s family consistently disputes the police’s claims, maintaining that the recovered skeletal remains do not belong to her. Due to this ongoing dispute, the High Court previously directed authorities to send DNA samples of both the skeleton and the girl’s family to the CFSL in Kolkata for definitive testing.
During Thursday’s hearing—attended by members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT)—the court evaluated the initial forensic results. Legal counsel informed the court that Pushpa’s family still refuses to accept that the recovered remains belong to the missing teenager.
High Court Demands Accountability
Taking a firm stance, the High Court sought a detailed progress report regarding the active proceedings in the lower court.
The court also questioned the state government regarding action taken against police officials who were allegedly negligent during the initial phases of the investigation. Furthermore, the bench directed the police to immediately complete the inquest (panchnama) of the recovered skeleton alongside all other necessary legal formalities.
The High Court observed that authorities must take all further actions strictly in accordance with available scientific evidence and legal provisions. The court will continue to hear the matter.
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