The Supreme Court has stepped in to oversee the investigation into the death of 27-year-old Nilesh Adivasi, a tribal man from Madhya Pradesh, ordering a new inquiry team and temporarily preventing the arrest of State Minister Govind Singh Rajput, who has been named in the case.
The Court said the earlier investigation had been clouded by contradictory accounts and allegations of political pressure. To ensure neutrality, the judges instructed the state police chief to form a three-member Special Investigation Team within two days. All officers must be from outside Madhya Pradesh, including one senior officer, one young IPS officer, and one woman officer of deputy superintendent rank.
The SIT has been told to re-examine every angle behind Adivasi&rsquo;s death, including those that may not have been explored earlier. It must complete its investigation as quickly as possible, ideally within a month. The Court also directed authorities to ensure that tribal witnesses and family members face no pressure during the inquiry.
The decision comes after months of confusion surrounding Adivasi&rsquo;s complaints. On July 1, he accused Minister Govind Singh Rajput of caste-based abuse. Days later, he retracted the allegation in writing, claiming he had filed the complaint while intoxicated and under pressure from political workers. He repeated this before a magistrate, saying he had no dispute with Rajput.
Adivasi was found dead by suicide on July 25. His wife later filed multiple complaints naming several people she said had harassed her husband, but none of her statements mentioned Rajput. Despite this, the police registered a new case against the minister more than a month later.
Rajput has argued that the delayed case against him ignored earlier testimonies from Adivasi and his family and was influenced by political rivalry.
Along with pausing Rajput&rsquo;s arrest, the Supreme Court also protected Adivasi&rsquo;s brother from any action so that he can participate freely in the investigation. The Court requested the Madhya Pradesh High Court to hear Adivasi&rsquo;s wife&rsquo;s petition, in which she has accused the local police of inaction and bias.

Top Court Halts Arrest,Orders SIT in MP Death Case

Supreme Court seeks fresh probe into tribal man’s death, pauses arrest of MP minister

Top Court Halts Arrest,Orders SIT in MP Death Case

Supreme Court seeks fresh probe into tribal man’s death, pauses arrest of MP minister

December 11, 2025 | 22:18 IST