Supreme Court transfers custody death probe to CBI, orders compensation

The Supreme Court has transferred investigation of Shravan Suryavanshi's death in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh to the CBI, expressing strong displeasure at police inaction. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta questioned the delay in filing an FIR for over 2.5 years after his January 2024 death in jail.

Suryavanshi, 34, was arrested on 18 January 2024 for allegedly possessing illicit alcohol. He died on 22 January after developing health complications in custody; a post-mortem indicated head injuries. His family sought FIR registration against police and jail officials but faced prolonged delays.

The High Court had awarded ₹1 lakh compensation in October 2024. The Supreme Court, hearing the family's plea, expressed concern over the absence of an FIR and directed CBI investigation. An FIR was finally registered on 30 August following court pressure.