The Supreme Court questions the suicide theory in a 17-year-old trainee’s rifle death, seeking clarification on possible homicide and whether one can practically shoot oneself in the chest with a rifle.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India has raised serious doubts over the Madhya Pradesh Police’s conclusion in a tragic case involving the death of a 17-year-old national shooting trainee in Bhopal. While the police treated the incident as a suicide, the Court questioned the very feasibility of a person shooting himself in the chest with a rifle, calling for deeper scrutiny into the possibility of homicide.
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Supreme Court’s Observations
On September 1, 2025, a Bench of Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan observed that,
“Whether a person would be able to use a rifle to shoot himself on the chest needs examination.”
The Bench directed the State of Madhya Pradesh to file a detailed affidavit within two weeks, clarifying whether:
- All possible angles, including murder, were investigated.
- The autopsy report and forensic findings supported the suicide theory.
- Proper details about the rifle’s length, usability, and seizure were considered.
The Court also ordered that the affidavit be accompanied by the post-mortem report and all investigation material, stressing that the truth behind the boy’s death must be uncovered. The case will next be heard on September 15, 2025.
Background of the Case
The deceased was a 17-year-old boy enrolled at the National Shooting Academy, Bhopal. According to his father (the petitioner, Arun Kumar Raghuwanshi), the boy faced severe harassment, ragging, and humiliation from fellow trainees, particularly the prime accused, Divyansh Singh Thakur.
- In November 2024, Thakur allegedly accused the boy of stealing Rs 40,000 and forced him to confess under duress.
- His phone was reportedly snatched and misused to send self-incriminating messages.
- On December 1, 2024, the boy left a suicide note, naming Thakur, the hostel warden, and four others as responsible for his suffering.
- Despite requests from the father not to provide the boy a weapon, a firearm was issued, which was later allegedly used in his death.
The FIR was lodged only a month later, on January 1, 2025, under Section 107 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
High Court’s Controversial Bail Order
- The Sessions Court rejected anticipatory bail for Thakur.
- However, the Madhya Pradesh High Court granted him bail on January 24, 2025, under Section 306 IPC (abetment of suicide).
- The High Court assumed the deceased was 18, but in reality, he was 17, meaning the graver charge of abetment of a minor’s suicide, punishable with life imprisonment, should apply.
The father challenged this order in the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition (SLP) under Article 136 of the Constitution, arguing that the High Court’s reasoning trivialized the death of a minor and overlooked key evidence.
Appearance:
Petitioner’s Counsel: AoR Sumeer Sodhi, Advocates Varun Tankha, Inder Dev Singh, Vipul Tiwari, and Harshit Bari.
Respondents’ Counsel: DAG V.V.V. Pattabhiram, AoR Mrinal Gopal Elker, Advocates Gautam Singh and Aditya
Case Title:
Arun Kumar Raghuwanshi v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Anr.
SLP (Crl) No. 9053 of 2025
Read Order Here: