Custodial death: Have clinching proof in Shimla gangrape case, says CBI

New Delhi: The CBI has got what it claims is “clinching” evidence to nail the arrested policemen of Himachal Pradesh in the custodial death case of an accused in the sensational gangrape and murder case of a schoolgirl in Shimla last month. The agency on August 29 arrested eight senior police officials, including inspector general of Police, Himachal Pradesh Zahoor H. Zaidi in connection with the case. The rape-and-murder of the Class 10 student in Kotkhai area of Shimla district had sparked an outrage. Her body was recovered from a nearby forest two days later.

Sources in the agency said, “The fresh evidence that has been collected against the arrested policemen will strengthen CBI’s investigation.” The scientific analysis of fresh evidence is expected to uncover the truth, they said adding that the agency will soon inform the competent court in this regard. The agency sleuths also confronted the arrested policemen with each other during their custodial interrogation, they said.  

During the probe of the July 4 gangrape-and-murder case, the state police had taken custody of six suspects who were lodged at the local police station.

Suraj Singh, a 29-year-old labourer from Nepal, was allegedly killed by a co-accused at the Kotkhai police station last month, triggering a massive public outrage.

Seven other policemen who were arrested by the CBI include: DSP Manoj Joshi, the then SHO of Kotkhai Rajinder Singh, ASI Deep Chand Sharma, two head constables and one constable.

The CBI, which was later handed over the probe into the case by the Himachal Pradesh high court questioned several people before arresting the 1994-batch IPS officer Zaidi, the then IGP (South) Manoj Joshi, the then deputy superintendent of Police, and six other police officials, sources said. The death of one of the accused Suraj in police custody had raised suspicion on the role of the police in the case, sources said adding that “their (policemen’s) alleged role in the custody death is also being probed by the CBI”.