NLU Jodhpur student death case: SC reserves order on plea seeking CBI probe

The Supreme Court has reserved its order on a plea seeking transfer of investigation from Rajasthan police to CBI into the death of a third-year student at National Law University Jodhpur, in August 2017. The petitioner has alleged that the state police have failed in investigating the matter efficiently.

New Delhi:Pulling up the Rajasthan government for not completing the investigation on time into the mysterious death of an NLU, Jodhpur student back in August 2017, the Supreme court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on a plea seeking transfer of the case to the CBI.

The bench comprising R.F. Nariman, Navin Sinha and Indira Banerjee was hearing a petition filed by Neetu Kumar Nagaich, mother of 21-year-old victim Vikrant Nagaich, who had sought the transfer of the case from the police to the CBI as she alleged that they were not investigating the matter efficiently.

In July, the apex court had directed the Rajasthan police to complete the probe and sought the status report, within two months.

This was after on June 8, the bench had noted that it will hear the matter within two weeks, and also look at the status of the probe conducted so far.

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"Despite the lapse of almost three years, no charge-sheet has been filed. The investigation is at a stand-still, with no effort made to apprehend the offenders," said the plea.

The petitioner claimed that the case was registered after a delay of around 10 months, in June 2018.

The plea claimed that there were many gaps in the probe and apprehended that it is a result of "probable collusion to shield some high, mighty and influential person(s)".

On Tuesday, the judges observed that its an 'eyewash' and a fresh investigation is needed in the case.

However, the Rajasthan government maintained its stand that there was no suspicious angle in the death but if the court demands they will investigate the case.

The case relates to the death of a third-year student at National Law University Jodhpur on August 13, 2017, who went to a restaurant, which was nearly 300 meters from the university campus, with his friends in the evening, but he did not show up, instead, his body was found next morning near the railway track.

The plea argued that the police are yet to retrieve the victim's mobile phone data with the help of Google, WhatsApp or Facebook, to find out his whereabouts on the night of the incident.

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