SC reserves order in a plea seeking CBI probe into 2017 NLU Jodhpur student’s death

The Supreme Court Tuesday reserved its order on a plea seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the mysterious death of a law student from National Law University, Jodhpur in 2017.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices Rohinton F Nariman, Naveen Sinha and Indira Banerjee also expressed their dissatisfaction with the final report filed by the Rajasthan Police, which is currently investigating the case.

The police in its report said there was no eyewitness to the case and hence a closure report was being filed.

The Court observed that the report was an "eye-wash" and that the case needed to be re-investigated.

Advocate Sunil Fernandes, for the petitioner, submitted that there had been no progress in the investigation since February of this year. On other hand, senior advocate Manish Singhvi, for the State of Rajasthan, argued that despite the investigation, there was no suspicious angle found in the death of the student. He, however,  added that the State would re-investigate the case if the Court so wished and place the reports of such re-investigation before it after two months.

The court was hearing a plea filed by the mother of the deceased student seeking transfer of the investigation to the 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 petition said.

On the earlier occasion also, the top court had chastised the Rajasthan Government over prolonged delay in concluding the probe into the matter.