Vishnupriya's suicide not abetted, says CBI in closure report

After investigating the suicide case of Tiruchengode DSP R Vishnupriya for three years, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reiterated its earlier conclusion that the police officer was not abetted to take her own life.

In April last year, the CBI had filed a closure report ruling out any larger conspiracy behind the suicide of DSP Vishupriya. However, the Coimbatore Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court had ordered further investigation into the case after Vishnupriya’s parents alleged that she was harassed and ill-treated by the then Namakkal Superintendent of Police.

After probing the case for another year, the CBI submitted a closure report to the court stating that the investigation did not show any evidence of abetment.

In a recent report filed on August 28, a copy of which is available with The Federal, the CBI clarified that DSP Vishnupriya, who was then investigating a case of an alleged caste killing of a Dalit youth Gokulraj, was under pressure since the case was getting a lot of media attention.

Clarifying on her parents’ allegations that Vishnupriya committed suicide because of being harassed by a senior officer, the CBI said in its report that mere scolding or instructions from higher officials cannot be regarded as an offence under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.

However, the report added, “The vital issue which needs to be introspected is that whether there was persistent pressure to Vishnupriya to handle the investigation in a particular fashion. It has to be analysed in the backdrop of the above contradictions in the statements of the vital witness and the manner in which the electronic devices were seized.”

On analysing the call detail record of Vishnupriya with the prime accused in the Dalit murder case, Yuvaraj, the CBI said that the conversation clearly showed that she was investigating the case in her own way and that there was no pressure from anyone.

DSP Vishnupriya was found hanging at her residence in Tiruchengode in September 2015. She had left behind a suicide note that allegedly hinted at work pressure for being the reason behind her decision to kill herself. On these grounds, her parents had approached the Madras High Court demanding a CBI probe into the case. Thereafter, the High Court had ordered a CBI probe into the case on July 2016.

Though she stated in her suicide note that she was under pressure, she had clarified that her suicide should not be linked with the case. “I am the investigating officer of the sensitive case. So, please do not relate my death to this case,” the suicide note said. In the note, she had also asked her parents not to trouble the police officers or approach any political party after her death.