The Supreme Court of India has expressed serious doubts regarding the plausibility of a suicide claim in a case where a man allegedly shot himself in the chest with a rifle. The case involves the death of a 17-year-old national shooting trainee from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, who died in December 2024. The prosecution has stated that the deceased took his own life, but the apex court is now questioning whether the death was truly a suicide or a possible homicide.

The case originated when the father of the deceased challenged a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that granted anticipatory bail to Divyansh Singh Thakur, a senior student and the prime accused in the case. The father's Special Leave Petition (SLP) contests the High Court's decision from January 24, 2025, related to a crime registered at Ratibad Police Station in Bhopal. The father has urged the Supreme Court to cancel the anticipatory bail and order custodial interrogation to ensure a fair trial.

A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan, while hearing the plea, questioned the very possibility of someone being able to shoot themselves in the chest with a rifle. The court has directed the state of Madhya Pradesh to file a detailed affidavit within two weeks, specifying whether the investigating agency thoroughly examined all angles of the case, including the possibility of murder. The order was passed on September 1, 2025.

The affidavit must include the post-mortem report of the deceased and all materials collected during the investigation, with specific emphasis on the details of the seizure and the length of the rifle allegedly used. These details are deemed crucial in assessing the plausibility of the suicide claim. The case is scheduled for further hearing on September 15, 2025, during which the court will examine the state's affidavit and supporting materials.

The case reveals that the deceased was enrolled in a shotgun shooting training course at an academy in Bhopal. A dispute allegedly arose between him and the accused, who accused him of stealing ₹40,000. It is alleged that the accused and other students at the academy threatened the deceased to admit his guilt, even allegedly snatching his phone and sending messages admitting guilt, as well as physically assaulting him. The father claims that his son was deeply depressed by this conduct and took his own life as a result. Before his death, the deceased reportedly told a friend and his sister that he was planning to commit suicide and left a suicide note with his friend, blaming the students at the academy.

The petitioner argues that there was a month-long delay in registering the FIR, allegedly due to the accused's influential family connections. The FIR was eventually lodged on January 1, 2025, under Section 107 BNS (abetment of suicide). The petitioner also contends that the High Court incorrectly considered the deceased to be 18 years old when he was actually 17, which would attract a more severe punishment for abetment of suicide as he was a minor. The Supreme Court's intervention seeks to ensure that all possible angles are investigated thoroughly, especially given the questions surrounding the nature of the death and allegations against the accused.