Rats Eat Up Murder Case Evidence; Madhya Pradesh High Court Raps Indore Police

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh High Court rapped the Indore police after claims that rats had destroyed several evidences including that of a murder case.

As per a report in The Indian Express, around 29 samples, including evidence in a murder case were destroyed by the rats. The High Court noted that it was a showcase of the “pathetic condition” in which evidence is stored in police stations, reported The Indian Express.

The court came across this destruction of evidence by rats while hearing a bail application moved by Ansar Ahmad, who was accused of beating his wife Tahira B in August 2021, that led to her death.

On October 4, Abhinay Vishwakarma, DCP Zone 2, along with Vijay Nagar Station House Officer Chandrakant Patel, were called to testify in the case.

The DCP informed the court that the “viscera” of the victim stored in plastic cans was damaged by rats during the monsoon season. He claimed that due to this, 29 different samples could no longer be used.

The DCP also assured the court that a departmental inquiry was being conducted against the malkhana in charge and the SHO over the issue.

Justice Subodh Abhyankar criticised the police for not taking into account the safety of the materials.

“Although nothing can be done about this spilt milk, at least this incident has also brought into the light the pathetic condition in which the articles/material collected during investigation is kept in the police stations of the state,” said the court, as reported The Indian Express.

The high court instructed the Madhya Pradesh police chief to “take stock” of all the storage areas/ ‘malkhanas’ in the police stations to avoid such an incident in the future.

Items in the malkhana had also been shifted to a sanitised and sealed area.