SC Orders CBI Probe into Mysterious Death of Manipuri Woman in 2013

The Supreme Court has emphasized that unresolved crimes can undermine public trust in institutions tasked with maintaining law and order, while directing a CBI probe into the death of a 25-year-old Manipuri woman found dead under mysterious circumstances in her rented house in south Delhi in 2013.

The body of the deceased, A S Reingamphi, was discovered on May 29, 2013, by the landlord of the tenanted premises, who promptly alerted the Police Control Room. The post mortem report failed to ascertain the cause of death.

An FIR was registered at the Malviya Nagar police station against unknown accused persons under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The investigation was initially handled by the Malviya Nagar Crime Branch, and following representations by her cousins, an offense under Section 302 (murder) of IPC was added. Subsequently, two cousins of the deceased filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking the investigation to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The high court dismissed the plea, stating that the investigation appeared unbiased, and no evidence suggested a strong connection between the landlord Raj Kumar, his brother-in-law Amit Sharma, and any politician.

Challenging this decision, the deceased woman’s cousins, Awungshi Chirmayo and Thotreithem Longpinao, approached the apex court, leading to the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in 2019 to oversee the investigation. The SIT’s report concluded that the woman had died by suicide, although the viscera reports did not reveal the presence of any common poison or medicine.

The Supreme Court, however, expressed skepticism about the suicide theory, noting the presence of blood spatter at the crime scene, suggesting a possible homicidal death.

“Prima facie it does not seem to be a case of suicide. The crime scene shows that blood was spattered on the floor and the bed sheet was completely drenched in blood. It appears to be a homicidal death and, therefore, the culprits must be apprehended,” the top court stated.

A bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and Sudhanshu Dhulia overturned the Delhi High Court’s order, directing the transfer of the investigation to the CBI. The apex court underscored the importance of fair and effective criminal investigations and emphasized the need to restore trust in the justice system.

Accordingly, it directed the CBI to conduct a thorough investigation and submit its report or charge sheet expeditiously.