The Supreme Court on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) granted three more months to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete its probe into the circumstances leading to the custodial death of a 34-year-old man in Chhattisgarh in 2024.
On August 12, the top court had ordered a CBI probe into the death of Shravan Suryavanshi, who was lodged in Bilaspur Central Jail when he died in 2024, and directed the state to pay compensation of Rs 25 lakh to his wife and children. The High Court had passed the order on the plea seeking compensation of ₹50 lakh and appropriate action against officers responsible for the custodial death. The apex court had noted that the High Court granted a meagre compensation of ₹1 lakh to the petitioners and completely overlooked the prayer made for directing action against officers who were responsible for the custodial death.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta noted that in its sealed cover report, the agency has sought more time to take the investigation to its logical conclusion.
It had said the facts warranted the immediate registration of an FIR and a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to Suryavanshi’s death, which the state authorities conveniently and deliberately tried to cover up. “In the facts and circumstances of the case, we are of the firm opinion that the ends of justice require that the investigation into the circumstances leading to the custodial death of Shravan be entrusted to the CBI and that all officials found responsible for the custodial violence, upon completion of the investigation, be proceeded against and prosecuted in accordance with law,” the top court had said. The top court had said Suryavanshi was in custody at the time of death and the jail superintendent had sent a letter to the district and sessions judge requesting that a judicial inquiry be conducted into the custodial death.
