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SC orders SIT probe into 2023 murder case against BJP MLA
🇮🇳 India /Crime & Justice

SC orders SIT probe into 2023 murder case against BJP MLA

From Hindustan Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • The Supreme Court ordered a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe allegations of murder against BJP MLA Arvind Pateriya.
  • The probe concerns the death of a driver for a rival Congress candidate during the 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.
  • The SIT must complete its investigation within two months, reviewing eyewitness affidavits and the opposing side's statements.

The Supreme Court has mandated the formation of a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to examine murder allegations against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Arvind Pateriya. This directive stems from a petition filed by Rajiya Ali, the wife of Salman Khan, a driver for a Congress candidate who was allegedly killed in the lead-up to the 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

The court, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, instructed the Director General of Police in Madhya Pradesh to establish the SIT within two days. The team will be headed by a senior IPS officer and include two other officers of deputy superintendent rank. The SIT will take over all case records from the state police and conduct its investigation without being influenced by prior inquiries.

The court directed the SIT to complete the investigation within two months by reviewing the affidavits submitted by the eyewitnesses.

— Supreme CourtThe court's directive on the timeline and scope of the SIT's investigation.

Representing Khan's widow, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan requested the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or an independent SIT, expressing dissatisfaction with the current investigation. He highlighted that five eyewitnesses have provided affidavits detailing the incident on November 17, 2023, where Khan was reportedly run over by a vehicle linked to Pateriya.

The court directed the SIT to take over the case records from the state police and proceed “uninfluenced” by the investigation already conducted in the matter.

— Supreme CourtThe court's instruction for the SIT to conduct an independent probe.

However, the state, represented by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, refuted the allegations. Raju noted that a counter-case was filed against the former Congress MLA, alleging shots were fired at Pateriya's convoy, leading to an attempt-to-murder charge based on a complaint by BJP leader Neeraj Chaturvedi.

The Supreme Court has directed the SIT to conclude its investigation within two months. The team is tasked with dispassionately reviewing the eyewitness affidavits and the counter-arguments before submitting its final report to the concerned court.

It further directed the SIT to consider the affidavits of eyewitnesses and the version of the opposite side in a “dispassionate” manner before submitting the final investigation report before the concerned court.

— Supreme CourtThe court's guidance on how the SIT should approach the evidence.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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