The Supreme Court on Wednesday transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the probe into the custodial death of a 34-year-old man in Chhattisgarh, taking serious note of the State police’s failure to register an FIR for over two years despite a judicial inquiry finding that he had suffered a fatal head injury while in custody.
A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta directed the CBI to register a regular criminal case and investigate the circumstances leading to the death of Shravan. The Court also ordered that officials found responsible for custodial violence be prosecuted in accordance with law.
Asserting that the ends of justice demand an independent probe, the Court entrusted the investigation into the custodial death of Shravan to the CBI. The Bench further ordered that state officials who neglected to take appropriate action following the judicial inquiry report be investigated and held accountable within the same probe.
The Court directed the CBI to entrust the investigation to a senior officer and complete the probe expeditiously. The investigating officer’s report is to be placed before the Supreme Court at the next hearing on October 13, 2026.
The Court also ordered the Chhattisgarh government to pay Rs 25 lakh as interim compensation to the deceased’s family within four weeks. The final compensation will be determined while deciding the writ petition.
The man died in hospital on January 21, 2024, three days after he was taken into custody on January 18 in connection with an allegation of possessing liquor for sale outside his grocery shop. The alleged value of the liquor was Rs1,200.
Following his death, the Jail Superintendent wrote to the Sessions Judge on January 22, 2024, seeking a judicial inquiry. A Chief Judicial Magistrate subsequently initiated an inquiry under Section 176 of the CrPC. In July 2024, the Judicial Magistrate First Class submitted a report concluding that the death resulted from complications arising from a head injury caused by a blunt weapon.
The deceased’s wife and two daughters later approached the Chhattisgarh High Court seeking an impartial investigation and Rs 50 lakh compensation. The High Court awarded Rs 1 lakh but did not direct registration of an FIR or order a probe into the allegations.
The Supreme Court had earlier found the Rs 1 lakh compensation to be wholly inadequate and not commensurate with the gravity of the family’s loss. It had directed the State Home Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) to appear through video conference.
During a subsequent hearing, the DGP claimed that an inquiry had been ordered and that stringent action would be taken against errant officials. He also sought to explain the delay in registering the FIR by stating that the judicial inquiry report had not been forwarded to the police department.
Justice Mehta, however, pointed out that the report had already been annexed to the State’s affidavit before the High Court. The Court also questioned the DGP’s assertion that the report did not disclose any cognizable offence requiring registration of an FIR.
The Court had orally expressed serious reservations over the handling of the matter, even questioning the competence of the State administration to deal with the case.
The Supreme Court has now directed the DGP, Chhattisgarh, to ensure that all records relating to the case are transmitted to the CBI Director through a special messenger within one week.
Holding that the State’s failure to act despite the judicial inquiry warranted an independent investigation, the Court said the “ends of justice require” that the custodial death probe be entrusted to the CBI.
The interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh is to be deposited directly into the petitioner’s bank account within four weeks.
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