Bokaro: 28 police personnel, including 10 sub-inspectors, have been suspended in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district for negligence and criminal collusion in a high-profile kidnapping-turned-murder case. The mass disciplinary action, ordered by Superintendent of Police Harvinder Singh, follows shocking revelations that the officers allegedly accepted bribes and engaged in a celebratory party with the prime suspect while the family of an 18-year-old girl pleaded for justice for nine months.
The suspension list reads like a roster of an entire station’s leadership, including the head of the Pindrajora police station. The disciplined group comprises 10 sub-inspectors, 5 assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), and 13 constables. Investigations revealed that these officers, originally part of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to find the missing Kumari Pushpa Mahto, actively worked to tarnish the department’s image by protecting the accused, Dinesh Mahto, in exchange for financial kickbacks and social favours.
The tragedy began on July 24, 2025, when Rekha Devi filed a complaint regarding the kidnapping of her daughter, Pushpa. For nearly a year, the police claimed they could find no trace of the girl or the kidnapper. Frustrated by the local authorities’ apathy, the family moved to the Jharkhand High Court.
Under the court’s intense scrutiny, the case was handed to a new team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (City) Alok Ranjan. Exposing the previous team’s incompetence, DSP Ranjan’s team cracked the case in just 24 hours, leading to the arrest of the lover, Dinesh Mahto, and the recovery of Pushpa’s skeletal remains from a forest.
During interrogation, the accused, Dinesh Mahto, confessed to a three-year-long relationship with Pushpa. The motive for the murder was revealed to be Pushpa’s persistent pressure on Dinesh to formalise their relationship through marriage.
According to the confession, on July 24, 2025, Dinesh lured Pushpa to a meeting near Chas College under the guise of a romantic engagement. He took her to a deserted forest patch behind the college campus, where he attacked her with a knife, killing her instantly.
Along with the skeletal remains, the new investigation team recovered the victim’s clothing and the murder weapon based on Dinesh’s directions. The recovery of the skeletonised body after nine months has sent shockwaves through the community. SP Harvinder Singh emphasised that the behaviour of the 28 suspended officers had severely damaged the public’s trust in the police force. While the lover faces murder charges, the 28 officers now face internal inquiries that could lead to permanent dismissal.