HC questions PI in converting murder of woman into suicide

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Vibha Kankanwadi and Justice Rohit Joshi has ordered to issue a notice questioning the investigating officer (IO), Senior Police Inspector Sheshrao Udaar of the Sillod City Police Station, why he has transformed the murder of a married woman into a suicide, although the crime of murder is apparent through the post-mortem report mentioning the mark of hanging and the statements of the witnesses in the case. The next hearing for this criminal petition is scheduled for January 31.

What is the case?

The complainant, Shaikh Arif Shaikh Yusuf's daughter, was married to the accused Shaikh Shahbaz Shaikh Khalil from Sillod. They have a son and a daughter. The wife was being harassed by her husband and his relatives to bring money from her parental home for a car and house. On March 5, 2023, the wife’s father was informed to come to Sillod. When he arrived, he was instructed to go to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Upon reaching there, he found his daughter’s body. He noticed signs of strangulation around her neck. Based on his complaint, a case of murder and harassment was registered against eight members including the husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law, under Sections 302, 498A, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Before filing the charge sheet in the case, the investigating officer (IO) had sent a letter to the judicial magistrate, informing him that the incident was not a murder, but a suicide. During the house search, the wife's ‘suicide note’ was found, and the investigation was conducted accordingly. However, the judicial magistrate referred the case to the Sessions Court under Section 302 of the IPC, which pertains to murder.

After learning that the police were investigating the case as a suicide, the deceased’s father, through Adv Shaikh Ashraf Patel, filed a petition in the High Court requesting that the investigation be handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The High Court took serious cognizance of this request and asked the IO to explain the investigation, as mentioned above.