The Sindh government on Wednesday requested the sessions court of Larkana to hold a judicial probe into the death of Nimrita Chandani, a BDS final year student at Bibi Aseefa Dental College (BADC) who was found dead in her hostel room in Larkana earlier this week.

Section Officer Aijaz Ali Bhatti wrote a letter to the district and sessions judge of Larkana, requesting that a judicial inquiry be held in the matter and submit a report to the home department within 30 days so that further action can be taken.

The letter directed Larkana's deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police (SSP) to "extend all possible cooperation in the [conducting] of judicial inquiry".

Meanwhile, members of the Hindu community, civil society and political parties demanded that a joint investigation team (JIT) be formed to probe the death of Nimirta.

Protesters held rallies in Larkana and marched towards the press club. They chanted slogans against BADC's administration and demanded justice for the deceased Nimirta. The protesters expressed solidarity with the Hindu community and said that a JIT, including members of armed forces and judiciary, should be constituted in order to probe the cause of her death.

The cause of the student's death has not yet been revealed. The in-charge police surgeon Dr Shamsuddin Khoso had told Dawn that the victim’s provisional post-mortem examination report showed only ligature mark on her neck and no other such mark on any part of the body. He said the viscera had been preserved and dispatched to the forensic laboratory in Rohri and the CMC pathology department for analyses. The reports, he said, would be received within the next four days.

Larkana Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Irfan Ali Baloch had told Dawn that police had taken Nimrita's laptop and mobile phone in custody and were trying to decrypt the passwords on the devices while SSP Masood Bangash, who is investigating the case, had said that no probe team had been formed. He added that forensic analysis of the laptop and mobile phone might take three to four days more.

2 students arrested

In the latest development in the case, Larkana police detained two students from the dental college attended by Nimrita. According to police sources, the two students are batchmates of the girl.

The two suspects were taken into custody on Tuesday night, a source said, adding: "They are being interrogated and their cell phones and laptops are being examined."

Sources said the two students have not yet been officially arrested and have been detained for questioning.

Nimrita's family has not yet lodged a case with Larkana police.

According to a source, one of the two suspects in custody had already deleted around 40 text messages exchanged with the girl on his cell phone. However, an examination of the girl's phone revealed those conversations, he added.

Police are also going to seek assistance from a security agency for forensic examination, the source said.