Policemen Absconding Since April, Why Suspended Yesterday: SC Pulls Up MP Govt And CBI In Custodial Death Case
The top court slammed the MP government and the CBI for the delay in suspending police officials accused in a custodial death case.
By Sumit Saxena
Published : September 25, 2025 at 4:07 PM IST
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed its discontent with the CBI and the Madhya Pradesh government, with the suspension of police officials, who are accused in a custodial death case, yesterday, though they had been absconding since April this year. Grilling the state government, the bench asked, “Officers are not coming on duty for so many months and you keep silent?”
The matter came up for hearing before a bench comprising justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan. The counsel for the CBI informed the apex court that the two officers were suspended on Wednesday.
The bench said the police officials had been absconding since April, but they were suspended yesterday. "Why yesterday? You say they have been absconding since April. This means you are protecting them. Now this is really contempt," observed the bench.
The bench said, “You have been searching for them since April. Why haven't you suspended them? What is the meaning of this? All your efforts are eyewash."
The CBI’s counsel contended that they are trying to trace the financial transactions of the police officials. The bench was informed that police officers' vehicles were being tracked on highway tolls.
The central agency’s counsel said the social media accounts have been scrutinised and a cash reward has also been announced, but no fruitful result has emerged.
The apex court made these observations while hearing a contempt plea of the mother of the 24-year-old victim, alleging non-compliance with the top court's May 15 order, transferring the investigation from Madhya Pradesh Police to the CBI.
It has been alleged that local police attempted a cover-up besides influenced the probe into his death.
During the hearing today, the bench also queried the CBI counsel about the anticipatory bail hearing of the police officials. "Have you gone and spoken to the advocate who appeared for him? Wasn't the state involved in the anticipatory bail? What did the government pleader advise? They could have arrested him," said the bench.
The bench said this is contempt of the Supreme Court order by the Madhya Pradesh government, and added, “Officers are not coming on duty for so many months and you keep silent?”
The apex court said the CBI’s status report is not satisfactory and asked the respondents to appear before it tomorrow.
"There was no such order that only the CBI can arrest. If an officer of your government is involved, you cannot wash your hands of it," the bench told state government counsel.
After hearing submissions, the bench scheduled the matter for further hearing on Friday and asked the counsel appearing for the state government and the home secretary to come with an explanation.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court criticised the CBI on its failure to arrest two police officers allegedly responsible for the custodial death of 24-year-old Deva Pardhi in Madhya Pradesh.
The apex court made these observations while hearing a contempt petition filed by the mother of the deceased, alleging breach of an order passed in May this year, directing the arrest of police officers responsible for the incident within one month.
In May, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by Hansura Bai and Shalini Pardhi, mother and aunt of Deva, assailing the judgment dated 20th December, 2024, passed by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Gwalior. The high court had turned down their plea for transferring the investigation into the custodial death to some other investigating agency, and also directed the release of the sole eyewitness to the custodial torture, Gangaram Pardhi, on bail.
A 24-year-old Deva Pardhi, along with his uncle, was forcibly taken by police officials from his wedding ceremony on July 14, 2024, claiming they were involved in a theft case. His uncle, Gangaram Pardhi, the sole eyewitness, said Deva faced incessant custodial torture in a police station which had no CCTVs: he was beaten by police, strung up by ropes and was hung upside down from the roof, and repeatedly doused with water in an attempt to suffocate him.
His uncle claimed the police officials wanted to instil fear of death in him, to squeeze out a confession, and tortured him for about three hours.
Pardhi could not endure the torture and breathed his last breath before the policemen. The Supreme Court entrusted the investigation into the case to the CBI and directed it to forthwith register the case and immediately arrest Madhya Pradesh police officers, responsible for the incident.
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