Bhopal Court Reopens Sarla Mishra Death Case After 28 Years, Orders Fresh Probe

Acting on a petition filed by Sarla Mishra's brother Anurag Mishra, a Bhopal court has ordered the case to be revisited. The move could spell fresh trouble for senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.

The case of Congress leader Sarla Mishra's death on 14 February 1997 is being reopened after 28 years. Following a plea by Sarla's brother, Anurag Mishra, the Bhopal court ordered the reopening of the file. Justice Palak Rai's court acknowledged that the investigation was not conducted properly and ordered the police to reinvestigate and submit a report.

Anurag has questioned the previous investigation and levelled serious allegations against the then Chief Minister, Digvijaya Singh.

Anurag stated that his sister was murdered due to political rivalry. The investigation into Sarla's death has been under scrutiny from the beginning. Allegations were made that the TT Nagar police of Bhopal labelled the murder as suicide. Accusations were also levelled against the doctor who performed the post-mortem. Anurag now expresses hope for justice.

Perfunctory Investigation: The police recorded a statement on 7 March 1997 and another on 15 February 2010. The court, while ordering a reinvestigation, noted that the police had merely gone through the motions instead of conducting a proper investigation.

Sarla was burning, doors were open: The investigation stated that when witness Rajiv Dubey arrived at the scene, Sarla was burning and the house doors were open. The court deemed this improbable.

Information relayed to the CM's House

Police statements revealed that information about the burning was relayed to the Chief Minister's house. Following instructions, Dr. Yogiraj Sharma went to the scene. He admitted that the room where the incident occurred had been cleaned, raising suspicions of tampering with evidence. Rajiv Dubey and Yogiraj did not inform the police for two and a half hours and did not attempt any treatment.

Questions raised about the investigation

Questions were raised about the police investigation. It was claimed that Sarla had informed someone via phone. The court questioned how someone could dial a number while burning, using a landline phone. The police did not conduct a scientific investigation; the telephone was neither seized nor sent to the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory), and the burnt telephone was not recovered.

Contradictions in the report

• Sarla (Sarla Mishra Murder Case): When Rajiv Dubey took Sarla to Hamidia Hospital at 1:30 AM on 15 February 1997, Dr. Anoop Dubey's memo stated that her body was completely burnt and she was unable to speak; detailed records were not maintained. The death review report from Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, dated 19 February 1997, indicated 90% deep burns. The dying declaration raises doubts; someone with over 90% deep burns could not have signed a statement.
• Investigation: The investigating officer did not attempt to inform Sarla's parents about the incident nor did they record their statements. Her father, Ashwini Mishra, opened Sarla's house using a key obtained from Rajiv Dubey and found signs of a struggle.
• Crime Scene: A bottle was reported to have been seized at the scene. No fingerprints were taken from any object, and no viscera sample was collected or preserved during the post-mortem.

What is the case about?

Congress leader Sarla Mishra was originally from Hoshangabad. Her father, Ashwini Mishra, was a freedom fighter. On 14 February 1997, she was admitted to Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal with severe burns and later died at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. The BJP protested, leading to a ten-day uproar in the state assembly. On 27 February 1997, the then Home Minister, Charan Das Mahant, announced a CBI inquiry into Sarla's death, but the notification was never issued. In a closure report on 27 March 2000, the police stated that Sarla did not blame anyone in her dying declaration. Her statement reportedly said, "Having failed in everything, I set myself on fire."