The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The Supreme Court has decided to examine a plea demanding the filing of a criminal case against police officials linked to the custodial death of a 32-year-old man in Faridabad, Haryana, in 2013. Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and PB Varale have issued a notice to both the Haryana government and the state’s director general of police, with further hearings scheduled for July 26.
The plea, brought forward by Anand Rai Kaushik, the brother of the deceased Satender Kaushik, challenges a previous ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court from November 28 last year. The High Court had rejected the request for a criminal case and the transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or another agency.
Anand Kaushik asserts that his brother died under suspicious circumstances while detained at the NIT police station without a formal complaint or FIR against him, based on an accusation of unpaid hotel bills. The police contend that Satender Kaushik committed suicide in the station’s toilet.
The petition criticizes the High Court’s decision, arguing it overlooked the facts and legal standards, especially considering the death occurred in police custody without proper investigative procedures. On March 11, 2015, the High Court had previously examined judicial inquiry and postmortem reports, concluding there was no evidence of foul play and deemed an FIR unnecessary, instead opting to award compensation, which the petitioner refused.
The High Court maintained that the 2015 order was not challenged directly but through a delayed application in 2018, which it dismissed as unjustifiable. The Supreme Court’s engagement now reopens the case, potentially altering the course of the investigation and accountability for Satender Kaushik’s death.