In a significant legal development regarding the high-profile death of Bhojpuri actress Akanksha Dubey, the Allahabad High Court on Friday issued formal notices to the two primary accused. The court is currently weighing a petition filed by the actress’s mother, who is seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the 2023 incident.
A bench comprising Justice Sidharth and Justice Vinai Kumar Dwivedi presided over the matter, signaling a deeper look into the circumstances surrounding Dubey’s passing.
The court’s notices were directed at Samarjeet Singh, better known as Samar Singh, and Sanjay Singh. The move comes in response to a plea by Akanksha’s mother, who has consistently rejected the initial police findings.
While local authorities in Varanasi categorized the death as a suicide after Akanksha’s body was discovered in a Sarnath hotel room last year, her mother’s petition alleges a more sinister plot. The plea explicitly claims that the actress was murdered by the two named individuals and raises sharp questions regarding the integrity of the initial police investigation.
Beyond the notices to the accused, the High Court has placed the local investigation under the spotlight. The bench directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Sarnath police station to file a counter-affidavit regarding the case.
The court issued a stern warning: should the SHO fail to submit the required documentation, they must appear personally before the court during the next session.
Although a judgment was expected to be delivered during Friday’s session, the bench opted to extend the proceedings. The court noted that a “fresh hearing on some points” is necessary before a final decision can be reached regarding the transfer of the case to the CBI.
The matter is now scheduled for a follow-up hearing on May 22, a date that will likely determine whether the state’s premier investigative agency will take over the file.
For now, the case remains a focal point of public interest, highlighting the tension between local police conclusions and the family’s pursuit of what they term a more rigorous investigation.
