SC orders CBI probe into Chhattisgarh custodial death

It
also
di ected
the
state
govt
to
pay
Rs
25
lakh
as
i te im
compe satio
to
the
family
of
the
deceased

NEW
DELHI:
Accusi g
top
admi ist ative
a d
police
officials
of
Chhattisga h
of
t yi g
to
“cove
up”
a
custodial
death
case,
Sup eme
Cou t
o
Wed esday
exp essed
lack
of
co fide ce
i
the
state
admi ist atio ‘s
catchi g
the
e a t
officials
a d
ha ded
ove
the
case
to
CBI.
It
also
di ected
the
state
govt
to
pay
Rs
25
lakh
as
i te im
compe satio
to
the
family
of
the
deceased.A
be ch
said
that
the
case
wa a ted
immediate
egist atio
of
a
FIR
a d
a
tho ough
i vestigatio
i to
the
ci cumsta ces
leadi g
to
the
death
of
Sh ava
Su yava shi,
which
the
state
autho ities
had
“co ve ie tly
a d
delibe ately
t ied
to
cove
up”.It
said
that
state
autho ities
we e
adopti g
a
“dilato y
app oach”
a d
could
ot
be
t usted
to
co duct
a
impa tial
p obe.
Sh ava
was
a ested
o
Ja
18,
2024,
afte
he
was
fou d
i
possessio
of
aw
Mahua
liquo
a d
lodged
at
Ce t al
Jail,
Bilaspu ,
f om
whe e
he
was
efe ed
to
hospital
o
Ja
21.He
died
a
day
late .Refe i g
to
the
high
cou t
o de ,
be ch
said
the
death
of
the
deceased
was
o
accou t
of
viole ce
pe pet ated
o
him
i
custody.
I
complia ce
with
the
cou t’s
di ective,
the
DGP,
di ecto
ge e al
(P iso s)
a d
p i cipal
sec eta y
(Home),
vi tually
appea ed
befo e
the
cou t,
which
fou d
thei
expla atio
“pe fu cto y
a d
peda tic”.

“I
this
backd op,
the
sta ce
of
blissful
ig o a ce
take
by
the
se io
office s
of
the
State
of
Chhattisga h,
i cludi g
the
P i cipal
Sec eta y
(Home),
the
DGP
a d
the
DG
(P iso s),
is
sac ilegious
a d
eflects
a
distu bi g
dis ega d
fo
the
statuto y
p ocedu e
gove i g
custodial
deaths.
The
expla atio
offe ed
that
eithe
a y
police
actio
o
a y
discipli a y
actio
was
take
agai st
the
pe so s
espo sible
because
the
judicial
i qui y
epo t
had
ot
bee
se ved
upo
the
police
officials
is
a
cove -up
sto y
a d
a
attempt
to
pull
the
wool
ove
the
Cou t’s
eyes,”
be ch
said.

“We
have
see
the
medical
epo ts
of
the
deceased
Sh ava
a d
fi d
that
a
clea
attempt
was
made
to
mislead
the
i qui y
because,
i
the
medical
epo t
p epa ed
at
jail
at
the
time
of
his
death,
the
cause
of
death
was
eco ded
as
ca diopulmo a y
a est
with
aspi atio
p eumo itis,
with
the
diag osis
bei g
alcoholic
withd awal
a d
deli ium
t eme s,”
it
said.The
cou t
the eafte
asked
CBI
di ecto
to
e su e
immediate
egist atio
of
a
egula
case
ove
Sh ava ‘s
custodial
death,
o de i g
that
the
i vestigatio
be
e t usted
to
a
se io
office
a d
co ducted
expeditiously.
The
epo t
of
the
i vestigati g
office
is
to
be
placed
befo e
the
cou t
o
the
ext
date
of
hea i g.
It
fu the
said
that
the
co duct
of
state
officials
co ce ed
i
faili g
to
take
app op iate
steps
pu sua t
to
submissio
of
the
judicial
i qui y
epo t
should
also
be
exami ed
a d
made
a
pa t
of
the
i vestigatio .