New Delhi, July 22 -- The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe into the brutal torture of a Jammu & Kashmir police constable at the joint interrogation centre (JIC) in Kupwara, directing the arrest of the guilty police officers, and awarding a compensation of Rs.50 lakh to the victim. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said the local police demonstrated "complete institutional failure" by illegally detaining Khursheed Ahmad Chohan (45), subjecting him to "barbaric and systematic torture resulting in permanent mutilation", and then fabricating counter-narratives to shield the perpetrators. The court said it was constitutionally imperative to hand the investigation to CBI, as only an independent probe could ensure justice and restore public faith in the system. "The majesty of law demands nothing less than complete independence and impartiality in investigating crimes that shock the conscience of society and violate the most fundamental principles of human dignity enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution," noted the bench, holding that the state's narrative was a "calculated effort to fabricate charges, distort the narrative and shield the real perpetrators of custodial torture." The apex court directed the CBI Director to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the entire episode of torture that allegedly took place between February 20 and 26, 2023, and submit a status report by November 10. The Court ordered that the guilty officers be arrested within one month and the investigation completed within three months from the date of FIR registration. In addition to the criminal probe, CBI has also been tasked with conducting a systemic audit of the functioning of the Kupwara JIC, suggesting concerns about institutional lapses and structural impunity. Ordering the J&K government to pay the compensation, the court clarified that the amount was without prejudice to Chohan's right to seek further monetary remedies. It also directed that the amount must be recovered from the officials found guilty once CBI completes its investigation or a departmental inquiry is concluded. The judgment exposed chilling details of the torture inflicted on Chohan. His testicles were surgically removed, he suffered extensive injuries to the palms and soles consistent with falanga (beating of the soles), vegetative particles were found in his rectum, and bruises extended from his buttocks to thighs. Medical evidence, the court held, "conclusively establishes" that these injuries were not self-inflicted. "The unprecedented gravity of this case involving brutal and inhuman custodial torture, characterised by the complete mutilation of the appellant's genitalia, represents one of the most barbaric instances of police atrocity which the State is trying to defend and cover up with all pervasive power," said the court, trashing the state's narrative that Chohan had mutilated himself in an attempted suicide. The bench said that "such injuries are medically impossible to be self-inflicted, particularly in the absence of fatal hemorrhage or loss of consciousness." Holding that the FIR for suicide was pre-emptive and retaliatory, rather than the result of any genuine police action,the court nixed the attempted suicide case lodged against Chohan. Chohan, a constable posted in Baramulla, was summoned by SSP Kupwara on February 20, 2023, and taken to the JIC, where he was detained without any FIR against him at the time. He was allegedly tortured until February 26, and later shifted in critical condition to District Hospital Kupwara and then another medical institution in Srinagar, where he underwent emergency surgery for his injuries. Despite the gravity of the incident and repeated complaints by Chohan's wife, no FIR was registered against the officials. Instead, the police lodged an FIR under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, accusing him of attempting suicide by cuttinghis private parts with a razor blade. The Supreme Court quashed that FIR, terming it a "fabricated counter-narrative" designed to shield the accused and flip the roles of victim and offender. Earlier, the Jammu & Kashmir high court, on a petition moved by Chohan, directed the SSP Kupwara -- the very officer who summoned him to JIC -- to conduct an inquiry into the matter. The bench termed this direction a "flagrant violation" of natural justice principles, observing that "no one should be a judge in his own cause". The top court further found fault with the HC's refusal to order an FIR in September 2023, calling it a "grave error in law" and a "complete misunderstanding" of the mandatory FIR registration requirement laid down by the Constitution Bench in the 2014 Lalita Kumari judgment. The bench held that the failure to register an FIR, despite compelling medical evidence and clear disclosure of cognizable offences, violated Articles 14 (equal protection before law) and 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution....