Patna: A 16-year-old Class XI student died under suspicious circumstances on Thursday morning after falling from the roof of a five-storey building near her coaching centre in Patna’s Phulwarisharif area.CCTV footage shows the girl rushing upstairs, followed closely by two youths, moments before she plunged to the ground. Her family alleges murder, citing injury marks and the absence of blood at the spot, while police have detained three people and formed an SIT to probe the incident.According to police, the incident occurred when the student left home early in the morning for her coaching classes, which she had joined recently on Feb 1. Her body was found on the road near the coaching centre shortly afterwards. Family members allege she was murdered before being pushed from the upper floor, citing visible injury marks on her body, including broken limbs, and the absence of blood at the spot despite the fall.CCTV footage from the coaching centre shows the girl hurriedly climbing the stairs, followed closely by two youths. Moments later, she is seen falling from the roof. The boys are then seen descending the stairs, pausing briefly to look at her body, and fleeing.“Police have seized the footage, detained three people for questioning, and are interrogating nearby residents, the girl’s friends, and the coaching centre director,” said Patna SSP Kartikeya K Sharma, adding that the body has been sent for post-mortem to determine the exact cause of death and whether the injuries occurred before the fall.“The video shows her going upstairs, followed shortly by two boys. What happened inside the building or on the upper floors remains unclear, as CCTV coverage is limited and does not capture events upstairs. Statements are being recorded,” he told TOI.City SP (West) Bhanu Pratap Singh said a special investigation team (SIT) under Phulwarisharif SDPO-I has been formed, including officers from other police stations.“The forensic team has collected evidence from the spot. It is too early to draw conclusions as the investigation is going on,” he said.Phulwarisharif SDPO-I Sushil Kumar said police received information about the incident in the afternoon from sources. “Her family did not inform us and proceeded with the final rites. Upon receiving the information, we recovered the body and sent it to AIIMS-Patna for the post-mortem.”He added that the girl attended combined-subject coaching on the building’s first floor. In the CCTV footage, she is seen entering the campus around 7.45am and falling around 8.12 am. “Why she went to the upper floor is part of the investigation. Among the three detainees, two are carpenters working on the upper floor—visible in the CCTV footage—and the third is the building guard. The spot has been secured, and the FSL and dog squad were called,” the SDPO said.According to police, the victim had two deep injury marks on her body. Preliminary investigation suggests the absence of bloodstains at the spot could be due to her backpack cushioning the fall.Authorities have urged against premature conclusions, saying scientific evidence—including the post-mortem and FSL report—will provide clarity. However, the family continues to demand a murder probe, pointing to the injury marks and suspicious circumstances.
