Supreme Court questions MP govt over police suspension delay:Rebukes state for shielding officers responsible in Deva Pardhi custodial death case

The Supreme Court raised serious questions about the Madhya Pradesh government’s failure to suspend two police officers allegedly responsible for the custodial death of Deva Pardhi, 26, on Thursday.
The Apex court accused the state of shielding the officers and demanded explanations for the delay in disciplinary action. Court interrogates government: Why were officers not suspended? During the hearing, a bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan questioned the state government: “You have been searching for these officers since April. Why, despite this, were they not suspended? Are you colluding with them?” The incident in question occurred on 15 July 2024, when Deva Pardhi died in police custody in Guna. Following the case, the CBI declared a Rs 2 lakh reward for information leading to the arrest of the accused police personnel. The Supreme Court had previously reprimanded the CBI for delays in carrying out arrests despite clear instructions. Previous directives to CBI In the previous hearing, the court had instructed the CBI to arrest all officers responsible within one month. Justice Mahadevan highlighted that the officers remained on duty without suspension for months, which constituted contempt of court. “The state cannot absolve itself by claiming the CBI is handling the arrests. No order barred the state from taking action. You cannot evade responsibility,” the bench remarked. CBI claims arrest attempts failed Additional Solicitor General Raja Thakre informed the court that the CBI had employed physical surveillance, monitoring financial transactions, checking toll records, and analyzing social media accounts to locate the officers. However, he claimed these efforts yielded no results. Justice Nagarathna sharply responded: “What does this mean? This looks like mere pretense.” Petitioners’ lawyer challenges CBI The petitioner’s lawyer, Payoshi Roy, challenged the CBI’s claim that the officers could not be located. She cited evidence showing that one officer had signed an affidavit in Gwalior for anticipatory bail and notarized it. Justice Nagarathna asked how an officer could file for anticipatory bail when the Supreme Court had already ordered their arrest. She pressed further on the state’s role in facilitating or ignoring the process. Roy also noted that the officers were still receiving salaries despite being on the run, highlighting the government’s inaction. State’s response and adjournment The state’s permanent counsel acknowledged the court’s concerns about salaries and the officers’ absence and requested more time for instructions. The Supreme Court subsequently adjourned the case until 10 AM tomorrow. Justice Nagarathna added, “We are not saying anything for now. Let us see what the Madhya Pradesh state says tomorrow. The best response would be: ‘We have arrested both officers.’” Background: Deva Pardhi’s custodial death The case dates back to 15 July 2024, when Deva Pardhi (25) from Bilakhedi was supposed to leave for Guna city for a wedding. Police from Myana reportedly intercepted Deva and his uncle Gangaram while they were on a tractor en route to the wedding and took them to the station for questioning related to a theft case. The following evening, the family received information from the district hospital that Deva had died in police custody. His body was found in the post-mortem room, sparking outrage and demands for justice.