Supreme Court expresses displeasure with CBI, questions arrest of police officers

National News: The Supreme Court strongly reprimanded the CBI. The court questioned why a court order was needed to arrest the police officers accused of the death of a tribal youth. A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan expressed strong displeasure over the delay. The court stated that the reason why arrests have not been made even after so many months is a serious question.

July 2024 incident

This case dates back to July 2024, when Dev Pardhi died in police custody at the Myana police station in Madhya Pradesh. The family alleges that two police officers, Uttam Singh and Sanjeev Singh, brutally tortured him. The only eyewitness to the incident was the deceased's uncle, who was also brutally attacked. The family alleges that the witness was implicated in several false cases and attempts were made to weaken his testimony.

Earlier order of the Supreme Court

In May 2024, the Supreme Court handed over the case to the CBI after finding flaws in the local investigation. The court clearly ordered the arrest of the accused within a month. However, four months later, no arrests were made. Subsequently, the victim's family filed a contempt of court petition, pleading with the court that its order was not being followed.

Question on state government

The Supreme Court had previously reprimanded the state government. It questioned why the accused were being paid their salaries while they were absconding and why there was a delay in suspending them. The court stated that this negligence would not be tolerated. The Supreme Court made it clear that attempts to protect police officers would be taken seriously.

The eventual arrest

Today, Additional Solicitor General Raja Thackeray informed the court that both accused officers have been arrested. Uttam Singh was arrested from Indore and Sanjeev Singh from Shivpuri on October 5. A senior lawyer representing the CBI stated that they have complied with the court's instructions and will be produced before the court for judicial proceedings.

The court sought clarification

However, the court still raised questions about why the arrests were made after a contempt petition had been filed. The judges stated that if the court had not taken a firm stance, action might not have been taken. The court clarified that the case would not be closed and the CBI would be required to provide a full explanation for the delay despite the order.

Hope for the victim's family

Dev Pardhi's family continues to fight for justice. They say that justice will only be achieved in this case if the culprits are punished severely. The Supreme Court has also made it clear that it will not leave the case unresolved. With the court's strictness, it is hoped that the investigation will proceed swiftly and the officers responsible for the tribal youth's death will be punished.