Himachal Pradesh rape: CBI likely to make ‘significant’ arrest

New Delhi: The CBI team probing the sensational gangrape and murder of a schoolgirl and the custodial death of an accused in Shimla district in July 2017, will soon make a significant arrest in connection with the case.

Expressing its displeasure over the inordinate delay in probe, the Himachal Pradesh high court on Wednesday asked the Director CBI to appear before the court in the next hearing.

However, after the CBI filed another status report in its probe pertaining to the case, the high court on Thursday amended its order to summon the agency director.

The court has now deferred his (head of the investigation agency) appearance till May 9. Raising questions pertaining to the CBI probe, a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and justice Sandeep Sharma on Wednesday had directed the CBI chief to personally appear in the court and file an affidavit on the status of the probe.

After hearing CBI counsel’s plea on Thursday, the bench said: “If the status report (of the CBI) to be filed on April 25 is not satisfactory and didn’t contain sufficient evidence, the CBI Director is supposed to appear in the court on May 9.” CBI counsel Anshul Bansal said, “Our investigations are scientific. After the court hearing on Wednesday, we received some leads into the crime and this morning we apprised the High Court through an additional status report.” He said the case could be cracked by the CBI any time now.

“We have in the status report said that hopefully by the next date (on April 25) we will present the accused before the court. On the basis of the status report, the high court modified its order,” he added.

The bench had observed on Wednesday: “It has been more than eight months that this court entrusted the investigation to the CBI. We are only reminded of the fact that the crime relates to the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl child.”