Back
Video Suicide Note Ignites CBI Probe: MP High Court Slams Police Cover-Up in Liquor Trader's Death
In a scathing rebuke to local police, the has ordered the to take over the probe into the suicide of liquor trader Dinesh Makwana. Justice Subodh Abhyankar ruled that a video suicide note alleging extortionate bribe demands by then-Assistant Commissioner of Excise Mandakini Dixit demands impartial scrutiny, overriding forensic doubts and months of police inaction.
The , order in Santosh v. State of Madhya Pradesh (W.P. No. 47622/2025) marks a rare intervention, transferring the case from Indore's Kanadia police station amid accusations of influence-peddling.
From Liquor Licenses to Lethal Despair
Dinesh Makwana, who ran three liquor shops in Dewas under groups like Chapda, Karawat, and Double-Chowki, died by consuming Celphos poison on . His mother, petitioner Santosh, claims relentless harassment by Dixit drove him to the brink.
In a self-recorded
Hindi video suicide note
—transcribed in the judgment—Makwana detailed his torment: operating shops worth ₹14 crore turnover, he alleged Dixit demanded ₹1.5 lakh monthly
per shop
(₹7.5 lakh total for his five outlets) plus ₹10 commission per bottle sold. Despite paying ₹20-22 lakh already, supply halts at warehouses until payments were met, he said.
"Rozi-roti ka sawaal hai... iskaaran se EC Madam Mandakini Dixit se pareshan hokar... aatmhatya kar raha hoon,"
the note concluded.
Santosh handed the video to Kanadia police on , but no FIR was filed for months. A second video, secretly recorded by Santosh at a mall, purportedly shows Dixit offering to fund her grandchildren's education to "settle" the matter.
Petitioner's Cry for Justice vs. Officer's Forensic Defense
Petitioner's side , led by , urged a under for FIR registration under (), CBI handover due to police bias, family protection, and action against errant officers. They dismissed forensic quibbles, stressing a grieving mother's credibility.
Respondents countered fiercely . for Dixit argued the video was "tampered, non-continuous, selectively edited"—per a private expert (retired Assistant Director)—and recorded pre-Dussehra (), not linking directly to the suicide. Dixit had issued a show-cause notice that day for ₹34 lakh dues, threatening license cancellation; financial pressure, not bribes, was the trigger. Citing Abhinav Mohan Delkar v. State of Maharashtra (Supreme Court, 2025), Vyas said Section 306 ingredients weren't met.
The State, via , relied on a , report : the video was in the phone's download folder, transferred from elsewhere—not originally recorded there.
Why the Court Brushed Aside Doubts and Doubled Down on CBI
Justice Abhyankar dissected the evidence meticulously. The note's "huge figures" and timing couldn't be ignored: a pre-suicide recording doesn't discredit desperation; victims often delay the extreme step.
He rejected the private forensic report outright—
"cannot be relied upon at this juncture"
—and critiqued the state's lab findings as inconclusive on origin or tampering. Police
"desperation to delay the FIR"
suggested influence from the "high-ranking" Dixit.
Referencing Supreme Court precedent in Legislative Council U.P. Lucknow v. Sushil Kumar (2025)—CBI probes are for "exceptional situations" where local credibility falters, backed by material—the court found the threshold met. Sweeping allegations alone don't suffice, but here, the video note plus mall clip established a .
The Delkar case was distinguished: no FIR existed yet, so Section 306 merits weren't tested.
Key Observations from the Bench
"merely because the suicide note was recorded by him prior to more than a month before he committed suicide, it cannot be a reason to discard the same on the ground of delay. This Court is of the considered opinion that when a person is pushed to such an extent to commit suicide, merely because he does not commit suicide immediately after recording of the suicide note, would not make his case less believable."
"the desperation on the part of the concerned police station and the higher officers concerned to delay the lodging of the FIR requires desperate measure from this Court to expedite the matter... efforts are being made to brush under the carpet the suicide of Dinesh Makwana."
" the material exists to lodge the FIR and to proceed with the investigation in accordance with law... this Court deems it proper to have the FIR lodged and the investigation completed through the CBI."
CBI Takes the Reins: Implications for Corruption Probes
The court directed immediate handover to CBI for FIR registration and "logical conclusion." A copy went to for swift compliance.
This ruling underscores judicial wariness of local probes in public official cases, prioritizing suicide notes as evidence. It may embolden victims' families facing official pushback, while signaling scrutiny for forensic private reports. For excise departments, it spotlights bribe allegations in licensing—echoing broader concerns in India's liquor trade, per reports on the demands' scale.
The petition was allowed, disposed of—justice, for now, outsourced to Delhi.
