Two different reports by two different wings of UP Police on medical student's death; SC orders CBI probe

Court highlights that there had been similar suspicious deaths in other institutions in the same district

The Supreme Court has ordered Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the unnatural death of a medical student in 2017 after the local officers of the Uttar Pradesh Police filed a chargesheet against two persons while the CB-CID wing of the State police submitted a closure report in the same case.

A Bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia noted that the local police, after probing the complaint of the girl’s father had arraigned the two accused for offences of abetment of suicide and “causing the disappearance of evidence”.

Subsequently, the investigation was handed over to crime investigation division CB-CID – another investigating wing of the State police.

“We are apprised by the counsel for the parties that the said agency i.e., CB-CID has now filed a final report/closure report under Section 173(8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973,” the Bench noted in a recent order.

The apex court pointed out that the local Magistrate had nevertheless taken cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the local police officers in October 2018. No order was passed on the closure report.

Incidentally, the court highlighted the information brought to its attention that there had been similar suspicious deaths in other institutions in the same district.

“Our attention has been drawn to certain other cases of unnatural death, which appear to be cases of suicide in different institutions within the same district… A young girl child has died an unnatural death while pursuing medical studies and two investigating agencies have given reports, one in the form of chargesheet arraigning two individuals as accused and the other filing closure report,” Justices Bose and Dhulia highlighted the seriousness of the situation.

“In view of the fact that there appears to be contradiction in the two reports filed by the the investigating agencies and also considering the nature of these cases, we are of the opinion that further investigation ought to be undertaken by the CBI and the two investigating agencies shall assist the CBI in this regard,” the Supreme Court ordered.

The Bench said the CBI would file its investigation report before the appropriate court while disposing of the case.