New Delhi, July 21, 2025 : In a landmark judgment reinforcing constitutional protections against custodial torture, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered a CBI probe into the alleged torture of J&K police constable Khursheed Ahmed Chauhan at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in Kupwara.
The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, also directed the immediate arrest of the police personnel involved and ordered the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to pay ₹50 lakh in compensation to Chauhan for the “gross violation of his fundamental rights.”
Chauhan had approached the apex court after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court refused to quash an FIR filed against him under Section 309 IPC (attempt to commit suicide). He alleged he was subjected to inhuman torture, including mutilation of his private parts, during a six-day illegal detention from February 20 to 26, 2023.
Setting aside the High Court’s ruling, the Supreme Court quashed the FIR and described the continuation of criminal proceedings against the victim as a “travesty of justice.”
In its judgment authored by Justice Mehta, the court not only directed the arrest of the accused officers within one month but also ordered the CBI to investigate systemic issues at the Kupwara JIC. The probe will assess whether structural or institutional failures enabled a culture of impunity that led to the custodial abuse.
The Court further instructed the CBI to complete its investigation within three months of the FIR registration, marking a strong stance against custodial violence and institutional negligence.
