Northeast

Babysana Death Case: 'Lethargic probe' by CBI disappoints court

A "lethargic investigation" is not expected from a premier investigation agency like the CBI, states the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West.

ByBabie Shirin

Updated 1 Jun 2022, 8:50 am

(Representational Image: Unsplash)
(Representational Image: Unsplash)

The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West on Monday expressed disappointment over the delayed investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stating that such "lethargic investigation" is not expected from a premier investigation agency like the CBI.

The court further directed the SP of CBI, SCB, Kolkata to submit the status report along with dates on the steps taken by the investigation agency; it had on May 11 directed the investigating agency to submit the status report of the reinvestigation into the mysterious death of Ningthoujam Babysana on or before May 30.

Following the direction, the CBI submitted the status report. While examining the status report, the court saw that the CBI has submitted the report in a tabular form where five specific points for reinvestigation as per the court order are mentioned in five columns. But the date on which the step was taken was left to be mentioned in all five columns.

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On being enquired by the court, the IO of the case stated that the steps were taken in the month of May of this year. The report appears more like an attempt to conceal the delay in initiating reinvestigation, the court stated.

The court, while calling the status report on the progress of the reinvestigation, observed that more than five months have lapsed since the direction for reinvestigation was issued on November 16, 2021.

“This court feels disappointed on the delay of the investigation where the samples, specially blood samples, are being sent to FSL, Guwahati only in the month of May 2022”, stated the court and expressed that the CBI were caught napping until the status report was called by the court on May 11, 2022.

The CBI has reopened the Babysana death case for further investigation as the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West rejected the closure report submitted by the CBI.

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While rejecting the closure report, the court directed the investigating officer of the case to find out the blood group of the deceased, N Babysana Chanu and to complete her DNA profile by using samples obtained from her. The court further directed the IO to find out the matching blood group and the DNA profile, if any, either of the deceased or the accused persons.

The court also directed the CBI to find out the blood group of her biological father and mother in addition to the blood group of all the accused persons and complete their DNA profiles for reinvestigation.

It may be mentioned that the 13-year-old Babysana of Thangmeiband Imphal West, a hosteler of Standard Robarth School, Chanchipur Imphal, was found hanging inside the hostel on July 18, 2019. Her death sparked controversy with family suspecting foul play in the girl’s death though post mortem suggests the cause of death due to asphyxia by hanging.

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Tags:

crimecourtlawinvestigationbabysanadeath casecbi probe

Babie Shirin

Babie Shirin

IFP Reporter, IMPHAL, Manipur

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