Patna: Police are struggling to solve the brutal murder of the director of a private hospital at Dhanuki Mor under the Alamganj police station area in Patna. Investigations suggested that the crime took place between 1.15pm and 2.15pm on Saturday, after the victim, Surbhi Raj, was dropped off at the hospital by her husband. “We are questioning hospital staff and people nearby. No arrests have been made yet, but something doesn’t add up. Employees were working on that floor, yet no one noticed anything unusual. Five bullets were fired, but nobody heard a thing. The CCTV near the director’s chamber had not been functioning for the last few days, which is concerning,” Atulesh Jha, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) I of Patna City, said. “The victim and her husband were business partners, managing the hospital as directors despite not having medical qualifications. They employed medical professionals while overseeing administrative matters. The hospital, established during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, had recently expanded, leading to the victim’s increased involvement in management,” Jha told this newspaper on Sunday. On the day of the incident, the couple arrived at the hospital at 12.15pm. After accompanying his wife to her room, the husband left for an external meeting. He was later informed about the shooting. Jha said despite extensive questioning, the identity of those who visited the chamber remains unclear. “Our team is systematically interviewing hospital staff, visitors and locals. The victim’s father has suspicions about someone close to the family, but neither he nor other family members have named anyone specifically. The fact that five bullets were fired without any reported noise suggests a silencer may have been used, though this is yet to be confirmed,” he said. There have been rumours that disgruntled attendants of patients may be involved, but the SDPO said all possibilities were being examined. “We have heard these rumours, but there are no eyewitnesses or evidence to support them yet. No arrests have been made so far, but we are exploring multiple angles to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify those responsible,” the SDPO added. Rajesh Sinha, the victim’s father, said his daughter had no personal enmity with anyone. “There is some conspiracy,” he said, demanding a high-level inquiry into the murder.
