The Supreme Court has raised questions over the alleged suicide of a 17-year-old trainee at a Bhopal shooting academy, directing the Madhya Pradesh Police to submit the autopsy report and an affidavit examining whether the death could in fact be a case of murder.
A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan, while hearing the matter on Monday, observed that it required scrutiny whether a person could physically use a rifle to shoot himself in the chest. “To our understanding, whether a person would be able to use a rifle to shoot himself in the chest needs examination,” the bench remarked, issuing notice on an appeal filed by the victim’s father against the Madhya Pradesh High Court order granting anticipatory bail to the main accused.
The teenager, who had enrolled for shotgun shooting training at the academy, died in December 2024. Police registered an abetment to suicide case against a senior at the academy based on a suicide note allegedly left by the boy. The accused was granted pre-arrest bail in January this year.
The boy’s father challenged the high court’s decision, stating that the court had trivialised the gravity of the incident and indirectly blamed his son for not being able to withstand the pressure created by the accused. He further alleged that the senior and others had ragged and harassed his son, falsely accusing him of stealing ₹40,000, and that the academy warden was aware of the humiliation that ultimately drove him to suicide.
The Supreme Court directed the state to file an affidavit detailing whether all aspects of the case, including the possibility of murder, had been properly investigated. The bench also asked the state to provide details of the material seized during the probe, the investigation carried out so far, and the length of the rifle used.
According to the father’s petition, his son had spoken to his sister and a friend on December 1, 2024, expressing distress over false allegations and humiliation intended to ruin his career. WhatsApp chats recovered later revealed the names of those who allegedly harassed him.
The FIR in the case was filed nearly a month after the boy’s death, which the father claims was delayed due to the influence and political connections of the accused.
The Supreme Court will hear the matter next on September 15.
