Chennai: Nearly 10 months after DSP Vishnupriya was found dead at her official residence in Tiruchengode on September 18, the Madras high court has handed over the case to CBI.
A division bench of Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice M V Muralidharan passed an order to this effect, on a petition filed by Vishnupriya's father who alleged that it was a case of murder but police were attempting to close it as suicide.
Vishnupriya's death is intertwined with the murder of a 21-year-old dalit youth, Gokulraj, whose headless body was found on railway tracks, hours after he was taken away from Thiruchengode Arthanareeswarar temple on June 23, 2015 while he was with his girlfriend from a non-dalit community.
A prime suspect in the case, Yuvaraj, who was heading a caste outfit, was underground for more than three months, triggering criticism from various sections of civil society.
Under immense pressure to arrest him, Vishnupriya was found dead on September 18, 2015. Police said it was clear case of suicide, whereas his father kept saying his daughter was harassed by his superior officers and that it was a case of murder. His writ petition seeking CBI probe was dismissed by a single judge last month.
On Friday, however, acceding to the submissions of senior advocate P Wilson, the division bench ordered CBI probe into the case.