Bihar District Judge Shilpee Soniraj Found Dead at Official Residence; Police Await Post-Mortem Report

According to local police reports, Justice Soniraj was found unresponsive at her residence early Friday and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was declared brought dead. Her body has since been sent to the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna, for a post-mortem examination. The medical report is expected within two to three days.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP Headquarters) Nishu Malik said the police were informed between 6 am and 6:30 am by judicial staff that the judge was not responding. “People rushed her to the nearby hospital. She was declared brought dead,” Malik reportedly said. He added that inquest proceedings have commenced and no conclusions can be drawn until the post-mortem report is received.

Asked whether the police suspected any foul play, the DSP said, “Until and unless the report comes, we cannot say further.” He also stated that the judge had gone out for tea late Thursday night. “Last night, she had gone to take tea. There is a Rajauli check post here on the highway. She had gone there to take tea,” he said.

Nawada Superintendent of Police Abhinav Dhiman confirmed that Soniraj had returned to her residence after the outing and gone to sleep. “In the morning, her caretakers found her unresponsive and took her to the hospital. She was declared brought dead. Her caretaker has given a statement in this regard,” Dhiman said.

Police sources said that Soniraj was last seen around 10:30 pm on Thursday near the Rajauli check-post before returning to her official quarters. On Friday morning, her caretaker, identified as Amardeep, found her unconscious and arranged to take her to Dharmashila Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. The caretaker has submitted a formal application to the police detailing the sequence of events.

A magistrate has been deputed to supervise the post-mortem proceedings, which are being videographed. A forensic team has also inspected the residence as part of the investigation. Officials reiterated that the cause of death will only be known after the post-mortem report is received from IGIMS.

Born in 1973, Shilpee Soniraj joined the Bihar Superior Judicial Service as an Additional District and Sessions Judge in 2016. Her first posting was in Gaya, following which she served at the Patna High Court in various administrative roles. In 2020, she was transferred to Jehanabad and was promoted as District and Sessions Judge in 2023, with her posting in Lakhisarai.

Before being transferred to Nawada in November 2023, she also served as Member Secretary of the Bihar State Legal Services Authority. She was the 14th senior-most judicial officer in the state and was eligible for consideration for elevation to the Patna High Court. Her retirement was due in December 2033.

Soniraj was an alumna of Patna’s Notre Dame Academy. The school’s alumni association expressed grief in a social media post, describing her as a valued member of the institution and extending condolences to her family.

"It is with deep sorrow that we share the sad news of the passing of our beloved alumna, Shilpee Soniraj Batch of 1987. She will always be remembered as a valued member of the Notre Dame Academy family. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones. May her soul rest in eternal peace. 🕊️," the Instagram and Meta post read.