Patna, March 12 (IANS) The owner of Shambhu Girls Hostel, Manish Ranjan, arrested in connection with the Patna NEET student death case, faced another setback on Thursday as the POCSO Court refused to grant him bail during the latest hearing.

The bail petition is being heard in the POCSO Court in Patna, and although arguments were presented during Thursday’s proceedings, the court did not provide relief to the accused.

The matter has now been scheduled for another hearing on Friday.

After the court hearing, the victim’s mother spoke to the media outside the court and accused both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Bihar Police of attempting to cover up the case.

She alleged that the agencies are trying to protect Manish Ranjan and another accused, Neelam Agarwal.

Speaking emotionally, she said the family would continue their legal fight.

“We are being made liars, but as long as we live, we will continue to fight for justice,” she said.

The grieving mother said her daughter had been sent to the hostel with complete trust so she could prepare for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

She further alleged that influential people used to visit the hostel and claimed that her daughter was raped and murdered because the family is poor.

“My daughter is gone, but many girls like her are still alive. We are fighting for them too,” she said.

The victim’s mother also questioned the state government’s commitment to women’s safety, referring to the slogan “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.”

She asked where the government is when poor girls seeking education face such tragedies and criticised the administration led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The case continues to draw attention in Bihar as the investigation progresses and the court prepares to hear the bail plea again in the coming days.

The NEET aspirant was found unconscious in suspicious circumstances in a room of Shambhu Girls Hostel located in Chitragupt Nagar, Patna, on January 6 and succumbed to her injuries on January 11 this year.

–IANS

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