Wed Jan 22 23:19:42 UTC 2025: **Supreme Court Seeks Madhya Pradesh Response in Dalit Woman’s Death Case**
Bhopal, January 23, 2025 – The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government, demanding a response to a petition calling for a CBI or SIT investigation into the death of a 20-year-old Dalit woman and the alleged murders of her brother and uncle.
The petition, filed by the woman’s mother, alleges that Anjana Ahirwar’s death in May 2024 was not accidental, as claimed by Sagar police, but part of a larger conspiracy. Her brother was allegedly murdered in 2023 after refusing to “settle” a molestation case against a group of men, and her uncle, a witness to the murder, died in May 2024. The petition further accuses the police of shielding the accused, who are allegedly linked to a BJP MLA and former State Minister, Bhupendra Singh. The mother claims Singh is influencing witnesses and that the prosecution is impossible within Madhya Pradesh.
The petition requests the transfer of the investigation outside Madhya Pradesh and police protection for the victim’s family. The Supreme Court has asked the Madhya Pradesh government to respond by the third week of March. The case has sparked widespread outrage, with opposition parties criticizing the BJP government’s handling of the situation.
First Piper 