1 2026:CGHC:22749-DB NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPCR No. 269 of 2026 1 - Nand Kishore Gupta S/o Late Puran Gupta, Aged About 50 Years R/o Gumga, Post- Dandgaon, District- Surguaja (C.G.) ... Petitioner(s) versus 1 - State of Chhattisgarh Through Secretary, Home Department, Mahanadi Bhawan, Mantralaya, Capital Complex, New Raipur, District Raipur (C.G.) 2 - Superintendent Of Police District- Surguja (C.G.) 3 - Station House Officer Chowki- Kunni, Police Station- Lakhanpur, District- Surguja, (C.G.) ... Respondent(s) (Cause-title taken from Case Information System) For Petitioner : Ms. Jigyasa Singh, Advocate. For State : Shri Soumya Rai, Dy. Govt. Advocate. Hon'ble Shri Justice Ramesh Sinha, CJ Hon’ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J Order on Board 14.05.2026 Per, Ramesh Sinha, CJ. 1 The petitioner has filed this petition seeking following reliefs: “1. That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to issue a writ/writs, order/orders, direction/directions to the respondent authorities to complete the investigation forthwith in relation to Crime No. 24/2025 registered at Chowki - Kuuni, Police Station - Lakhnapur, District - Sarguja (C.G.); INDRAJEET SAHU Digitally signed by INDRAJEET SAHU Date: 2026.05.15 13:11:18 +0530 2 2. That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to issue a writ/writs, order/orders, direction/directions to respondents to conduct fair, impartial and effective investigation into all allegations contained in the written complaint of deceased Meena Gupta regarding dowry demand, cruelty, harassment and intimidation by her husband and in-laws; 3. That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to grant any other relief, which it deems fit and proper.” 2 Facts of the case are that, the petitioner is the brother of deceased Meena Gupta. Marriage of deceased Meena Gupta was solemnized in the year 2017 with Sanjay Gupta S/o Suresh Gupta as per their customs and rituals. After sometime of marriage their relation was strained leading to filing FIR under section 498A, 294 and 506 of IPC by the deceased Meena Gupta on 22.10.2021 alleging cruelty, harassment and dowry-related torture by the accused persons. As the deceased gave birth to a girl child, they used to threat her and on 26.07.2021 they left her at her parental home. The deceased Meena Gupta also filed an application under Section 125 of Cr.PC for the maintenance. On 03.12.2025 a compromise was taken between the parties and maintenance amount of Rs. 10,000 per month was agreed to be provided by the husband of deceased. The order, based on the compromise, was to be passed on 14.12.2024, however, unfortunately two days after the compromise, i.e. on 05.12.2024, the bodies of deceased Meena Gupta and her daughter Astha was found hanging on a tree. 3 The petitioner made his applications on 10.12.2024 and 11.12.2024 before respondent No. 2 & 3 alleging that the accused persons have committed murder of his sister after the compromise was reached on 3 03.12.2024. He sought information under Right to Information Act and in response to the application, it was informed on 09.03.2025 that initially Merg No. 119/2024 and Merg No. 120/2024 were registered and inquiry was commenced by the police. That as per communication issued by Police Chowki Kunni dated 09.03.2025, it has been stated that after inquiry in Merg No. 120/2024, it was found that deceased Meena Gupta first hanged her daughter Aastha and thereafter committed suicide, and on that basis, Crime No.24/2025 under Section 103(1) BNS was registered and investigation is pending. Therefore, the petitioner seeks a direction to complete the investigation at the earliest. 4 Learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that despite lapse of substantial time from the date of incident and even after registration of Crime No. 24/2025, no charge-sheet/final report has been filed by the police till date. The petitioner apprehends that investigation is not proceeding in a fair and proper manner and material facts relating to murder of his sister and her daughter. She would further submit that inaction and delay on the part of respondent authorities is causing grave prejudice to the petitioner and defeating the cause of justice. 5 She would further submit that there was a matrimonial dispute between the husband and deceased and deceased also lodged an FIR against her husband i.e. Crime No.78 of 2021 on 22.10.2021 at Police Station Mahila Thana, Ambikapur, for the offence under Sections 498-A, 294 and 506 IPC, however, no action was taken against the actual culprit. Though, the present FIR of Crime No. 24/2025 was lodged on 27.01.2025 at Police Station Lakhanpur, District Ambikapur, however there is no substantial progress in the case. Therefore, the petitioner 4 being brother of the deceased has approached this court for a direction to the police authority to complete the investigation forthwith. 6 Having Considered the contentions put forth by the counsel for the petitioner, considering the fact that alleged incident of hanging took place on 05.12.2024 i.e. just two days after the compromise arrived at between the parties to the extent of maintenance amount @ 10,000/- per month payable by the husband to the deceased and also considering the fact that FIR was also lodged by the deceased on 22.10.2021 alleging cruelty and demand of dowry against her husband and in-laws, the Superintendent of Police, Surguja, is directed to ensure that investigation of present case in Crime No.24/2025, registered at Chowki Kunni, Police Station, Lakhanpur, is carried out in a time bound manner and the same be concluded within a period of six weeks from today. 7 With the aforesaid observations/direction, the present petition stands disposed of. Sd/- Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) (Ramesh Sinha) Judge Chief Justice inder