PATNA, Jan. 17 -- The death of a girl preparing for the medical entrance test in Patna and living in a private hostel has once again raised a question mark over the larger question: Are girls safe in mushrooming private hostels and lodges? Thousands of girls from across the state live in Patna weaving a dream of clearing the medical and engineering entrance tests and other competitive exams by taking admission in coaching and other institutions, but they often have to live in private lodges or hostels away from home, where they are vulnerable to all kinds of exploitation, including drug and sexual abuse. A hostel owner said that the incident was unfortunate and it would earn a bad name to all in the business. Be it Boring road, bazaar samiti, Kankarbagh, Bhola Pahad, Rajendra Nagar or other areas, girls' hostels have mushroomed in the last few years, as parents see in Patna better opportunities for their daughters due to dearth in far-flung areas. "We just get registered on Aadhar Udyam Portal, India's free, online, and paperless system for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to register with the government and receive a unique number. It involves a self-declaration process using only an Aadhaar number, PAN, and GSTIN (if applicable). Many hostel owners may not be doing it. There are no specific bylaws," he added. With the post-mortem report of the girl pointing to sexual assault, the safety of the girls pursuing education in Patna has raised questions if it is risky for them to stay away from home in private hostels, which lack security and accountability. Purnea MP Pappu Yadav said that there was no regulation for private hostels and lodged and they have been reduced to sheer money- minting enterprise in connivance with the local police and authorities. "The girls come to Patna to prepare for competitive exams, but are subjected to exploitation in the absence of any law, regulatory body or accountability at any level. There are lodges where both boys and girls live," he added. JD(U) spokesman Neeraj Kumar said it was a heinous incident and the police would get to the bottom of the matter. "Whoever is involved in this heinous crime, irrespective of their clout, will not be spared. Whoever is involved has committed a sin. We are in touch with the bereaved family. Strongest action will be taken against the culprits within a time-frame," said the JD(U) spokesman....