In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced on Saturday the arrest of an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) from the Madhya Pradesh Police. This officer is one of two implicated in the tragic custodial death of a tribal man in the Guna district.
This apprehension follows a stern rebuke from the Supreme Court, which had recently censured both the Madhya Pradesh government and the CBI for their sluggishness in arresting the officers involved. The case centers on the death of Deva Pardhi, a 25-year-old tribal man from Bilakhedi village, who was taken into custody on July 14, 2024, on suspicion of theft. Tragically, Pardhi died later that same night at the Myana police station in Guna, just hours before his scheduled wedding, with his family vociferously accusing the police of brutal treatment.
Prashant Shrivastava, the CBI’s Additional Superintendent of Police in Indore, confirmed that Uttam Singh Kushwaha, who served as an ASI at Myana police station at the time, was taken into custody in Indore.
Shrivastava further stated that Kushwaha appeared before a court, where the CBI secured a two-day remand for him. Meanwhile, Sanjit Singh Mavai, the station in-charge at the time of the incident, is still at large.
He added, “We are actively working to locate and apprehend Mavai, and dedicated teams have already been dispatched for this purpose.”
Previously, the CBI had already arrested two other police personnel, Sub-Inspector Devraj Singh Parihar and Inspector Zubair Khan, in connection with this case, along with an additional individual.
Earlier in the week, the investigative agency had publicly offered a reward of ₹2 lakh for any information that could lead to the arrest of both Kushwaha and Mavai.
During a hearing on Thursday for a petition filed by Pardhi’s mother, a Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan critically noted, “More than four months have elapsed, and the court’s directive has not been followed. It seems you are shielding the officers.”
Initially, police officials attributed Pardhi’s death to cardiac arrest. However, his mother later petitioned the Supreme Court, alleging that local police were deliberately protecting the culpable officers. Consequently, on May 15, the Supreme Court transferred the investigation from the State Police to the CBI, explicitly ordering the agency to arrest the suspects within one month.