The Supreme Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the death of Anjana Ahirwar, a young Dalit woman from Madhya Pradesh.
Anjana's mysterious death in May 2024 sparked allegations of foul play and an alleged cover-up by local authorities.
A bench of justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh said an independent probe was necessary to ensure that the circumstances of the death were properly examined.
The court observed that the matter required an independent probe as its 'conscience needs to be satisfied that there was no foul play.'
Anjana died after reportedly falling from a moving ambulance that was transporting the body of her uncle, Rajendra Ahirwar, from a government hospital in Sagar to their village, Barodiya Naunagir in Khurai.
Her death came less than a year after her brother Nitin Ahirwar was allegedly beaten to death in August 2023, sparking protests in the region.
Civil society groups and activists have pointed out that three members of the same Dalit family died within a span of about ten months.
