Court threatens contempt proceedings if police officers are not apprehended by October 7 deadline.
The Supreme Court has issued a warning regarding the potential initiation of contempt proceedings against officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Madhya Pradesh government. This warning comes in light of their failure to arrest two police officers accused in the alleged custodial torture and subsequent death of an Adivasi man, with a deadline set for October 7, as reported by Live Law.
The court emphasized the necessity for compliance, stating, “Comply with the direction of the apex court.” The justices made it clear that if the directives are not followed, they would take necessary actions as stipulated under the Contempt of Courts Act.
The case revolves around the death of 25-year-old Deva Pardhi, who was arrested in July 2024, just before his wedding, along with his uncle Gangaram Pardhi on charges of theft. Following their arrest, the family received distressing news that Deva had died while in police custody. While law enforcement officials claimed he suffered a heart attack, the family contended that both men were subjected to torture during their detention.
Subsequently, the Supreme Court intervened and transferred the investigation to the CBI after expressing concerns that the Madhya Pradesh Police had not carried out a fair and transparent inquiry. Initially, the court directed that if any police officers were found culpable, they should be arrested within a month.
On Tuesday, during the hearing of a contempt petition filed by Deva Pardhi’s mother, the Supreme Court granted the CBI just two days to apprehend the officers implicated in the case. The judges expressed frustration with the CBI’s assertion that the accused officers, identified as Sanjiv Singh Malviya and Uttam Singh Kushwaha, had been evading arrest since April.
Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan remarked that the law should not apply differently to those in uniform. They highlighted that had the accused been private citizens, they would have been arrested within a fortnight. “Because they are inspectors, you are finding it difficult to arrest them,” the court noted, as quoted by Bar and Bench.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court questioned why the absconding officers had not been suspended or their salaries halted. Following the court’s inquiry, it was reported that the officers have since been suspended and their salaries ceased.
Despite the CBI’s claims of facing challenges in locating the officers, including announcing a reward of Rs 2 lakh, tracking financial transactions, and conducting physical surveillance, the court dismissed these efforts as insufficient and referred to them as “eyewash.” The court has scheduled a follow-up hearing for October 8, contingent on whether a compliance report is submitted by the set deadline.
This case has drawn attention to issues surrounding custodial deaths and police accountability, raising questions about the treatment of Adivasi individuals within the justice system.
