The Supreme Court, on Friday, directed the Director General of Punjab Police to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the alleged murder of a woman by her husband and her lover.
The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, was hearing a petition filed by the victim's father, who challenged the bail granted to the woman's husband by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The bench emphasised the need for a thorough investigation, particularly in light of the fact that the woman’s death had been labeled "unnatural" but there had been no significant progress in the case despite it being five years since the incident.
The case had been transferred to the crime branch after a chargesheet was filed, but no major breakthroughs had occurred. The Supreme Court ordered the DGP to set up a three-member SIT, consisting of two IPS officers and one woman officer, to investigate the case further.
The top court also specified that the SIT must conclude the investigation within three months and directed the disposal of the matter after the completion of the investigation.
The case stems from the tragic death of the woman, a resident of Noida, whose body was discovered on August 9, 2016, in a car in Amritsar, where she and her husband lived.
The woman's body showed signs of multiple injuries, including indications of strangulation, leading to suspicions that she had been murdered. Her father, the complainant in the case, alleged that his daughter was killed by her husband, her lover, and his relative.
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During the initial investigation, the Punjab Police reported that several individuals were questioned, but no charges were brought against them. On June 10, 2020, the police filed a chargesheet against the woman's husband alone. Following this, the husband's mother filed a plea, which led the Director of the Bureau of Investigation in Punjab to transfer the case to the crime branch for further inquiry.
The crime branch's investigation revealed several flaws in the original police probe. They found that the husband's involvement in the crime could not be substantiated, and that the roles of three other individuals needed further investigation.
As a result, the crime branch filed a petition in the trial court seeking permission to re-investigate the case. Additionally, an application was filed requesting the husband’s discharge from the case, and a separate report was submitted to the Director of the Bureau of Investigation in Punjab on February 8, 2021, for approval.
The Supreme Court's ruling now aims to ensure that the investigation is carried out thoroughly and impartially, with a focus on uncovering the truth of the woman's death.
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