Rizwan was abducted on December 23, 2021, and his remains were discovered in the fields of a village located in the Palwal district of Haryana several days later. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently appointed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look into the homicide of an eight-year-old boy after the Haryana Police failed to apprehend the culprits.
Justice Deepak Gupta noted that the periodic status reports from the State made it clear that the Police had reached a dead end and were unable to solve the case, despite the formation of a Special Investigation Team. Given these circumstances, the Court determined that, in the interest of justice and to uncover the truth, it was appropriate to assign the case’s investigation to an expert agency like the CBI.
The Court declared, “Hence, the responsibility of conducting the investigation into the case lies with the CBI.”
This decision stemmed from a petition filed by the victim’s father at the Mundkati police station in the Palwal district, requesting a thorough investigation into the incident. The petitioner’s son, Rizwan Mustak, was abducted while visiting a mosque in the village of Sarai Khatela on December 23, 2021. His remains were discovered in the village fields a few days later.
The court was informed that the murder of the petitioner’s son was the result of a criminal conspiracy, with someone who had filed a criminal complaint against the petitioner in 2017 seeking revenge. It was also alleged that the identities of specific suspects were disclosed during a Panchayat meeting convened after Rizwan’s death. Despite informing the police about the situation, no action was taken.
In response, the Palwal police stated that while the suspects were included in the investigation, no evidence implicating them was found. After considering the arguments presented, the court concluded that the authorities had failed to identify the perpetrator.
“The assertion that Rizwan’s death was natural is not supported by the respondents or the board of doctors who conducted the postmortem examination,” Justice Gupta stated. “Despite attributing an unnatural death to an 8-year-old boy named Rizwan, the investigating agencies have been unable to resolve the case.”
Following a review of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the transfer of investigations, the Court decided that it was appropriate to assign the CBI to investigate the homicide.
The Court ordered, “The Registry is directed to provide the authorized officer of the CBI, in the presence of its Advocate, with a copy of the petition, replies/affidavits filed periodically by the respondents/State, and the accompanying documents.”
