The Supreme Court on Monday directed to form a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the allegations of murder against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Madhya Pradesh MLA Arvind Pateriya involving the driver of the rival Congress candidate in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant directed the director general of police (DGP) Madhya Pradesh to constitute a three-member SIT in two days headed by a senior IPS officer of MP cadre (not below the rank of senior superintendent of police) and two other officers not below the rank of deputy superintendent of police.
The order was passed on a petition filed by Rajiya Ali, the wife of deceased driver Salman Khan, who was killed in the run up to the 2023 assembly polls in the state. Khan was employed with then Congress MLA Kunwar Vikram Singh of Rajnagar constituency in Chhatarpur district. It was alleged that Khan was run over by a vehicle linked to Pateriya.
Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing Khan’s widow, sought transfer of probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any independent SIT expressing dissatisfaction with the ongoing probe. He pointed out that five eyewitnesses have submitted their affidavits giving clear descriptions of the incident that took place on November 17, 2023.
{{/usCountry}}Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing Khan’s widow, sought transfer of probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any independent SIT expressing dissatisfaction with the ongoing probe. He pointed out that five eyewitnesses have submitted their affidavits giving clear descriptions of the incident that took place on November 17, 2023.
{{/usCountry}}The allegations were refuted by the state, represented by additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju, who said that a counter case was also lodged against the former Congress MLA alleging that shots were fired at Pateriya’s convoy following which a case of attempt to murder was registered on the complaint of BJP leader Neeraj Chaturvedi.
The court directed the SIT to complete the investigation within two months by reviewing the affidavits submitted by the eyewitnesses. 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. 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.