Ordering a CBI probe into a 2013 case pertaining to the death of a 25-year-old Manipuri woman in Delhi, the Supreme Court of India (SC) recently said that unresolved crimes have a tendency to undermine the confidence that the public has in institutions established to maintain law and order.
On March 28, during a hearing of the 11-year-old case which remains unsolved, a bench comprising of Justices JK Maheshwari and Sudhanshu Dhulia passed the order taking note of the plea filed by the family of the deceased.
The family of the deceased woman sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe alleging that the Delhi Police failed to catch the killer and shielded the accused.
The deceased worked at a call centre in Delhi. She was found dead in her South Delhi rented house in 2013.
"...Criminal investigation must be both fair and effective. We say nothing on the fairness of the investigation... but the fact that it has been ineffective is self-evident. The kith and kin of the deceased who live far away in Manipur have a logistical problem while approaching authorities in Delhi, yet they have their hope alive, and have shown trust and confidence in this system. We are therefore of the considered view that this case needs to be handed over to CBI for a proper investigation and also to remove any doubts in the minds of the appellants, and to bring the real culprits to justice," the bench said.
It further added, "The court noted that the woman's death was not a case of suicide as the crime scene had blood 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 family initially went to the Delhi High Court to request a CBI investigation. However, their petition was rejected for various reasons, such as the DNA of the semen samples found at the crime scene not matching the DNA of the accused, and the inability to locate the boyfriend who had not cooperated with the investigation.
