The CBI has arrested a Madhya Pradesh police sub inspector in connection with the alleged custodial death of a man from a denotified tribe in Guna last July. Multiple teams of the CBI are conducting searches to nab two more policemen.
On April 30, the Supreme Court pulled up the MP Police for not making any arrests in the alleged custodial torture, describing it as an example of “favouritism” where the state police was “shielding” its own officers. On May 15, the top court had transferred the probe from the state police to the CBI, while recording that it “is amply borne out” that the police “influenced the investigation right from the beginning”.
A source said the SI identified as Devaraj Singh Parihar was arrested on Wednesday night after the CBI found sufficient evidence against him and also found Parihar was changing his statement during his questioning. “Two more policemen are currently absconding and teams are looking for him. A few days ago, the CBI also obtained NBW against them,” the source added.
As per the order, the transfer of probe was necessitated owing “to a clear inference that the investigation by the local police is not being carried out in a fair and transparent manner and there is an imminent possibility of the prosecution being subjugated by the accused if the investigation is left in the hands of the State police, who are apparently shielding their own fellow policemen owing to the camaraderie.”
The division bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, disposing of a plea for bail to Gangaram Pardhi, the uncle of Deva Pardhi, 25, who died after being arrested in Guna district on July 13, 2024, also granted him liberty to directly move the Madhya Pradesh HC for bail “in all the cases in which he has been implicated” after the custodial death.
Deva had been making last-minute preparations for his baraat when he and Gangaram were arrested in a case of alleged theft. Later that night, Deva’s family was informed that he had died. Deva’s family rejected the police claim that he had died of a heart attack.
