CBI says Manisha died by suicide, files closure report
The CBI has filed a closure report in the Manisha death case of Bhiwani, concluding that the 18-year-old woman died by suicide after consuming an organophosphorus insecticide.
The CBI filed the report in the case on Friday, with the next hearing scheduled for August 27. Manisha’s family can challenge the closure report by filing a protest petition.
The Haryana Police had initially registered an FIR at Loharu police station on August 12, 2025, on a complaint by Manisha’s father, Sanjay Kumar, alleging wrongful confinement under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Manisha, a resident of Dhani Laxman village, had left home around 8 am on August 11, 2025, to teach children at Kids Play School in Singhani but did not return. Her family searched for her and contacted relatives but failed to trace her.
In his complaint, her father told the police that she was wearing a yellow salwar-kameez and red shoes when she left home. Her body was found the following day in a field near the canal in Singhani village, with injuries on the neck. Section 103(1) of the BNS, relating to murder, was subsequently added to the FIR.
Three post-mortem examinations were conducted following the family’s demand — the first at Bhiwani, the second at PGI, Rohtak, and the third at AIIMS, Delhi.
Amid protests over the death, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced a CBI probe on August 20, 2025. Manisha was cremated the next day. The Delhi unit of the CBI registered a regular case on September 5, 2025.
What CBI found
According to sources, the CBI investigation found that Manisha was depressed and wanted to pursue a nursing course but had failed to secure admission. She was allegedly being taunted by family members. She was a 10+2 pass.
The agency found that Manisha herself had purchased an organophosphorus insecticide from Devender Khad Beej Bhandar. The CBI also obtained the sale receipt for the insecticide.
The agency relied on the findings of a multispecialty medical board comprising doctors from different hospitals and concluded that the death was a suicide. It also relied on a psychological assessment of Manisha’s state of mind, which indicated that she was depressed.
The Haryana Police had also reached the conclusion that Manisha had died by suicide. The finding had triggered protests and meetings of village panchayats, while the Congress had raised the issue during the monsoon session of the Assembly last year.
Manisha’s father had earlier alleged that the CBI probe was moving slowly and had threatened to go on a hunger strike in June. He later met CBI officials on July 26, who assured him that the investigation would be concluded soon.
Reacting to the closure report, Sanjay Kumar rejected the CBI’s findings and said the family’s fight for justice would continue. He said they would decide on the legal course of action on August 27.
