'Deliberate cover up': SC orders CBI probe into Chhattisgarh custodial death
Says Admin, Police Attempted To Pull The Wool Over Court's Eyes
The Supreme Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into a custodial death case in Chhattisgarh, accusing top officials of attempting to cover up the incident. The court expressed skepticism in the state administration's ability to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of Shravan Suryavanshi, who was arrested on January 18, 2024, for possession of raw Mahua liquor and subsequently died a day later in Central Jail, Bilaspur.
The bench found the state's handling of the case to be dilatory and lacking in impartiality. The court directed the DGP, director general (Prisons), and principal secretary (Home) to appear before them, dismissing their explanations as perfunctory and pedantic. The cause of death was initially recorded as cardiopulmonary arrest with aspiration pneumonitis, attributed to alcoholic withdrawal and delirium tremens.
The court asked the CBI director to ensure immediate registration of a regular case and entrusted the investigation to a senior officer.
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