Bombay HC Orders CBI Probe into Woman's Dowry Death

The Bombay High Court, on April 16, 2026, mandated the transfer of the investigation into a woman's death, which occurred in February 2023, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Justices Sarang Kotwal and Sandesh Patil highlighted "undoubtedly significant" discrepancies in the initial inquiry. The petition was filed in 2024 by the deceased woman's father.

The woman married in November 2021 and moved into her matrimonial home in May 2022. Her father stated she endured continuous dowry harassment and assault, including being forced to suffer a miscarriage. He was informed of her death by suicide on February 24, 2023. Upon seeing her body at the hospital, he observed injuries.

The Kashimira police registered an FIR on February 27, 2023, under the Dowry Prohibition Act and relevant IPC sections, but crucially omitted murder charges. The father approached the High Court, asserting the investigation lacked fairness. His lawyer noted the husband had absconded and later received anticipatory bail, while other accused were granted regular bail.

Judges observed that the initial postmortem was conducted by a medical officer not specialized in forensic science, rendering their opinion on suicide versus homicide inconclusive. A previous bench had requested a report from JJ Hospital experts, who concluded the death was suicidal. However, the High Court found this opinion potentially flawed, based on a postmortem not performed by a forensic expert. Further inconsistencies were noted regarding the timing of the inquest panchnama and the placement of an odhani (scarf) shown in a photograph versus the spot panchnama. The accused claimed to have broken down the door, yet the spot panchnama indicated no damage to it. The CBI is directed to file a supplementary chargesheet if necessary.