The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has ruled that the Economic Offences Wing, Srinagar (EOW) lacks authority to investigate allegations of custodial torture or custodial killing — such cases fall outside the scope of offences assigned to it under the relevant notification.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the EOW’s Senior Superintendent of Police, challenging a Magistrate’s order that directed the Wing to register an FIR and probe a case alleging custodial torture and death by police at a local station.
Relying on S.O. 232 dated 09.05.2022 — which formalized EOW Srinagar as a police station — the court noted the annexure to the notification lists only certain categories of “economic offences.” Custodial violence or homicide does not figure in that list. L
Because the complaint involved custodial torture and death, the court held the Magistrate exceeded his power in directing the EOW to investigate. The order was quashed and the matter remanded for fresh consideration by the proper jurisdictional police station.
The judgement underscores that even though EOW Srinagar is a designated police station under S.O. 232, it can only investigate offences within its notified remit. Complaints involving custodial torture or killings must be handled by the competent local police station — not by a specialized wing lacking jurisdiction.