Speed up CBI probe in Manisha suicide case, urges panchayat

A panchayat held at Dhani Laxman village today expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of the CBI probe into the death of a schoolteacher, Manisha (19), in Loharu subdivision of Bhiwani district.

Saying that the Central agency had been probing the case for the past over a month, it asked when it would conclude its investigation and reveal the truth behind the incident.

Dhani Laxman village is the native village of the deceased teacher.

The panchayat also decided to hold a one-day ‘water-only fast’ on November 30 to press for expeditious probe.

Manisha was found dead near a canal at Singhani village on August 13. Initially, the police registered a case of murder, but later began probing the suicide angle. After the family rejected the suicide theory, the state government handed over the investigation to the CBI.

The CBI too registered a case of murder and its team made three visits to Bhiwani district in over a month to gather clues and take statements from various persons and family members. However, it has not come out with any statement so far.

Manisha’s father, Sanjay Kumar, said the panchayat urged the authorities to speed up the investigation. Demanding justice for his daughter, he expressed disappointment with the pace of the CBI probe. “Through the panchayat, we want the authorities to expedite the probe, expose the culprits, and ensure their arrest,” he said.

Farmer leader and activist Suresh Koth also demanded that the investigation be accelerated. “The government should urge the CBI to complete the probe in a time-bound manner to bring out the truth,” he said.