Supreme Court Orders CBI Probe into Suspicious Death of Judicial Officer’s Wife

The Supreme Court, on September 6, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the death of Ranjana Diwan, the wife of a senior judicial officer

The order was issued by a Division Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale, following a plea by Diwan’s mother and brother, who raised suspicions about her death in 2016, two years after her marriage. Diwan was an Assistant District Prosecution Officer.

The family requested a CBI investigation, expressing concerns that her husband, a judicial officer, might influence the local authorities. After reviewing the submissions, the Supreme Court granted the plea, citing the need for an unbiased, thorough, and independent investigation, particularly regarding the unexplained ante-mortem injuries.

The Court directed the CBI to complete the investigation promptly and report its findings. It also instructed the Chhattisgarh government to cooperate fully with the CBI by providing all necessary documents and support. The CBI was authorized to file an FIR if needed or close the case if insufficient evidence was found.

Background information reveals that Diwan married Manvendra Singh, an Additional District Judge, in 2014. In May 2016, her family was informed of her alleged suicide but suspected foul play, especially as they were initially denied access to the post-mortem report. Although the police classified the case as a suicide, Diwan’s family sought a fair investigation, ultimately bringing the matter to the Supreme Court after the Chhattisgarh High Court’s decision to direct them to file a complaint before a Magistrate under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973.

The deceased’s family expressed concern before the Supreme Court that her husband’s position as a judge could hinder a fair investigation, particularly given the six ante-mortem injuries noted in the post-mortem report. The Chhattisgarh government countered that the investigation had been conducted fairly at the highest level. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, suggested either appointing a Special Investigation Team or assigning the CBI to investigate the matter, which the Court ultimately chose to do.

Advocates Dinesh Jotwani, Dhawesh Pahuja, Bhargava Baisoya, Shruti Singh, Shivalika Midha, Narendra Bahadur Tiwari, Nilesh Sharma, and Saket Gogia represented the appellants in the case.

(With inputs from agency)