PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the death of Faheem, who was fatally shot during the Vanbhoolpura violence on February 8, 2024. A division bench of Chief Justice Narendra and Justice Alok Mehra issued the directive while hearing a petition filed by Faheem’s brother, Pervez, who had sought a CBI inquiry into the matter.
The court has instructed that the current investigating officer, Neeraj Bhakuni, be transferred out of the district and emphasised that the High Court itself will monitor the investigation to ensure transparency. The decision comes in response to concerns raised over the integrity of the ongoing police investigation. The bench had also previously remarked critically on the conduct of the investigation, pointing out that the same officer was both leading the inquiry and submitting the final report, which the court said was highly unusual and raised questions of impartiality. Pervez had moved the High Court after alleging that the police failed to register a proper case or conduct a serious investigation despite repeated complaints. Following Faheem’s death, his family had allegedly approached various authorities to demand justice but no FIR was registered until they were compelled to approach the chief judicial magistrate in Nainital. The magistrate had directed police on May 6, 2024, to file a case against unknown persons and submit a report but the petitioner claims that police have made no progress to date.
According to the petition, Faheem did not die as a result of the communal unrest itself but was shot by unidentified individuals. The family maintains that this distinction makes a fair and independent investigation all the more necessary, given the grave nature of the allegations, which include murder. The court’s intervention now paves the way for a supervised SIT probe, with further proceedings under the direct oversight of the High Court.
