Did CBI Initiate an Inquiry into the Mysterious Passing of a Delhi Hotel Management Graduate in 2017?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The CBI has reopened the investigation into Arnav Duggal's death.
- Initial police inquiries were criticized for being inadequate.
- Family concerns led to the High Court's involvement.
- Missing evidence raises questions about the original investigation.
- The CBI must now explore potential lapses by the Delhi Police.
New Delhi, Dec 21 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has commenced an inquiry into the mysterious demise of hotel management graduate Arnav Duggal, whose body was reportedly discovered hanging from a ceiling fan in his girlfriend’s apartment located in Delhi’s Dwarka area in 2017.
The federal agency initiated the case following orders from the Delhi High Court, which acknowledged a plea from the 23-year-old Duggal’s parents regarding an inadequate investigation by the Delhi Police, leading to the transfer of the case to the CBI.
On Friday, Superintendent of Police, CBI, Rajesh Kumar, sanctioned the filing of a new FIR and initiated a review of the evidence.
Duggal’s parents, hailing from West Patel Nagar, reported that they were unable to reach their son on the night of the incident when he was socializing with his female friend and others.
They claimed they were notified of his demise the following evening and were shown his body by local authorities at the Shakuntalam Apartments, Dwarka Sector 10, at 5:25 p.m. on June 13, 2017. Arnav’s female friend resided in the same building.
A murder case concerning Arnav’s death was filed on February 22, 2018, at the behest of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM), who criticized the local police for dismissing the family’s claims of foul play while adhering to their own theory of suicide.
The Duggal family alleged discrepancies in the investigation, including the disappearance of key photographs from the police case file, as they sought intervention from the CMM.
Subsequently, their application to the Delhi High Court for transferring the investigation to the CBI asserted that the “probe has been unfair, tainted, and suggests foul play, necessitating the invocation of the writ jurisdiction of this Court for the transfer of investigation to the CBI.”
The FIR filed by the CBI regarding Arnav’s death stated, “The allegations in the FIR revealed the commission of a cognizable offense, resulting in FIR No. 45/2018 dated 22.02.2018 under section 302 IPC of PS Crime Branch being re-registered at CBI SC-I, New Delhi on 19.12.2025, and the investigation is now taken up by the CBI as Regular Case No RC.15(S)/2025/CBI/SC-I/New Delhi.”
Previously, on November 27, 2025, the High Court directed the CBI to “conduct a fresh investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deceased's death and undertake necessary actions in accordance with the law.”
“The CBI must also investigate any lapses by the officers of the Delhi Police during the investigation, and if any deliberate omissions or commissions are uncovered, a report should be prepared and submitted to the CMM and the Commissioner of Police, who may take appropriate disciplinary measures if warranted,” stated Justice Tushar Rao Gedela of the Delhi High Court.