New Delhi: The Supreme Court has questioned whether it is physically possible for a person to shoot himself in the chest with a rifle, directing the Madhya Pradesh Police to file an affidavit clarifying if all aspects of a death case have been investigated, including the possibility of murder.
A bench comprising Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan delivered the order on September 1, 2025, while hearing a petition challenging anticipatory bail granted to an accused under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.
The court was hearing Petition for Special Leave to Appeal (Criminal) No. 9053/2025 filed by Arun Kumar Raghuwanshi against the State of Madhya Pradesh and another, arising from an order dated January 24, 2025, passed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur in MCRC No. 1726/2025.
The prosecution case indicated that “the deceased committed suicide by using a rifle to shoot himself on the chest,” and the High Court had granted anticipatory bail to the accused under the abetment to suicide provisions.
However, the Supreme Court expressed skepticism about the physical feasibility of such an act. The bench observed: “To our understanding, whether a person would be able to use a rifle to shoot himself on the chest needs examination.”
Considering the unusual circumstances, the court deemed it appropriate to seek comprehensive clarification from the investigating authorities. The court stated: “In such circumstances, we deem it appropriate to require the State to file an affidavit whether the investigating agency has investigated all aspects of the matter, including the possibility of a murder.”
The court has directed the state government to file a detailed affidavit within two weeks, addressing whether all relevant investigative aspects have been covered, particularly the potential for the death to be a murder rather than suicide.
Along with the affidavit, the court has also directed disclosure of crucial evidence, stating: “Along with the affidavit, the autopsy report of the deceased as well as the material collected during investigation, particularly in respect of seizure and length of the rifle, shall be disclosed/filed.”
The matter has been listed for further hearing on September 15, 2025.
Mr. Sumeer Sodhi (AOR), Mr. Varun Tankha, Mr. Inder Dev Singh, Mr. Vipul Tiwari, and Mr. Harshit Bari, Advocates, appeared for the petitioner, while Mr. V.V.V. Pattabhiram (D.A.G.), Ms. Mrinal Gopal Elker (AOR), Mr. Gautam Singh, and Mr. Aditya Chaudhary, Advocates, appeared for the respondents.
Case Title: Arun Kumar Raghuwanshi vs. State of Madhya Pradesh & Anr.
