After SC warning, CBI arrests Madhya Pradesh police officer in Adivasi man’s alleged custodial death

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday arrested a police officer in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district in connection with the alleged custodial torture and death of an Adivasi man in July 2024, The Hindu reported.

This came a day after the Supreme Court warned that it would initiate contempt proceedings against officials of the CBI and the Madhya Pradesh government if they failed to arrest the two police officers accused in the death of 25-year-old Deva Pardhi by October 7.

Prashant Shrivastava, CBI additional superintendent of police in Indore, told The Hindu on Saturday that Uttam Singh Kushwaha, who was an assistant sub-inspector at the time when the alleged incident took place at Myana Police Station in Guna district, was arrested.

The CBI obtained Kushwaha’s custody for two days after producing him before a court, Shrivastava said. However, Sanjit Singh Mavai, who was in charge of the station at the time, was absconding, he added.

Shrivastava said that teams had been formed to trace Mavai.

In July 2024, ahead of his wedding, Deva Pardhi and his uncle Gangaram Pardhi were arrested on charges of theft. The family was later informed that Deva Pardhi had died in custody.

The police claimed Deva Pardhi had died of a heart attack, but the family alleged that both men were tortured in custody.

On May 15, the case...

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