New Delhi: The Supreme Court granted the Central Bureau of Investigation another three months to finalize its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the custodial death of 34-year-old Shravan Suryavanshi in Chhattisgarh in 2024. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta accepted a request submitted via a sealed cover report, wherein the investigative agency asked for additional time to bring the inquiry to its logical conclusion. The bench scheduled the next hearing in the matter for February 2.
Previously, on August 12, the apex court ordered a CBI inquiry into Suryavanshi's death and mandated that the state government provide Rs 25 lakh in compensation to his wife and children. The court also instructed the CBI director to guarantee that a regular criminal case was formally registered against individuals accountable for the fatality.
At the time of ordering the CBI investigation, the top court sharply rebuked Chhattisgarh authorities. Justices criticized the explanation that police and disciplinary actions had stalled because a judicial inquiry report was never served to police officials, labeling the reasoning as a cover-up attempt designed to deceive the judiciary.
The Supreme Court emphasized that the gravity of the facts demanded an immediate first information report and an exhaustive probe into the events leading to Suryavanshi's demise, which state officials had intentionally avoided. The bench asserted that justice required transferring the case to the CBI so that all officials implicated in custodial violence could face proper legal prosecution upon the completion of the inquiry.
This legal intervention originated from a petition filed by Suryavanshi's wife and children, who contested an October 2024 ruling by the Chhattisgarh High Court confirming that he suffered fatal custodial violence. While the high court acknowledged the violation, it granted a compensation of only Rs 1 lakh to the family while omitting requests for punitive action against responsible officers.
Suryavanshi had been detained following an FIR registered in Bilaspur under the Chhattisgarh Excise Act after authorities allegedly discovered three bottles containing six liters of raw mahua liquor valued at Rs 1,200. He was subsequently placed in Bilaspur Central Jail, transferred to a hospital on January 21, 2024, after his health worsened, and died during medical treatment the following day.
Following his death, the jail superintendent wrote to the district and sessions judge to request a judicial inquiry. A judicial magistrate first class in Bilaspur conducted an inquiry under Section 176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, submitting a report on July 22, 2024, which concluded that the death appeared linked to complications from a head injury. With the investigation continuing under the newly granted timeline, the Supreme Court's prior directives regarding financial compensation and accountability for those responsible remain active.