The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday chastised the Rajasthan Government over prolonged delay in concluding the probe into the alleged murder of an NLU Jodhpur student- Vikrant Nagaich in August 2017.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice Rohinton F Nariman observed that the investigation couldn't go on without a conclusion. The bench ordered the State Government to ensure that the investigation is completed in two months and a status report is filed before it. It also expressed its dissatisfaction over the status report filed by the Rajasthan police.
The court was hearing a plea filed by the mother of the deceased seeking transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The plea filed through Advocate-on-Record (AoR) Astha Sharma alleged that the Rajasthan police had been "lackadaisical and negligent" in their approach. It was alleged that "is a result of probable collusion to shield some high, mighty and influential person".
Further, it was argued that no charge sheet had been filed in the last three years. The deceased's mother alleged that the investigation was at a standstill and no effort had been made to apprehend the offenders. The deceased student Vikrant Nagaich's body was found in an open ground near railway tracks opposite to the university in 2017.
"The chronology of events raised a reasonable suspicion that the death of Petitioner's son was not merely an accident, or suicide but was something more grave and profound, which demanded immediate consideration and investigation. However, the same was not carried out by the investigation agency, and the Petitioner was left dismayed and devastated after the death of her only child", the petitioner had said.
On June 8, the court had sought an explanation from the State of Rajasthan on why the investigation had not progressed in three years.
Read Order here:
[pdfviewer]http://theleaflet.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/11838_2020_34_15_22734_Order_08-Jul-2020.pdf[/pdfviewer]