A day after Himachal Pradesh high court summoned the CBI director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted a fresh status report before court. The court directed CBI to file a fresh status report on April 25 and summoned the director on May 9. However the CBI counsel, while talking to media, claimed the accused will be held before the next date.
CBI counsel Anshul Bansal said, “We have some fresh leads in this case. The court has given us time to file the report. We are hopeful that the accused will be produced before court by the next date.”
Earlier, court had summoned CBI director Alok Kumar Verma and asked him to appear in court on April 18. Chief justice Sanjay Karol and justice Sandeep Sharma read the fresh status report and amended its yesterday’s order.
“Perhaps the investigation agency is clueless in this case. Despite all facilitation, no fruitful result has come so far,” the bench had said on Wednesday.
In July 2017, HC bench had asked CBI to speed up probe. The high court had directed the state to provide assistance to the probe agency, who has been investigating Kotkhai gangrape and murder case along with the custodial death case of an accused.
On December 15 last year, CBI had announced a reward of ₹10 lakh for providing credible information about the accused.
{{/usCountry}}On December 15 last year, CBI had announced a reward of ₹10 lakh for providing credible information about the accused.
{{/usCountry}}About the case
On July 4, 2017 a Class-10 girl went missing, whose body was recovered on July 6 from Halaila forest in Kotkhai of Shimla district. Medical reports confirmed rape. An SIT, headed by the-then inspector general (IG) southern range S Zahur Zaidi, was setup to probe the case.
On July 12, the SIT had detained six youth, including a Nepalese labourer, and the next day announced solving the case.
On July 14, locals staged a violent protest outside the Theog police station and also vandalised vehicles.
Succumbing to public pressure, the state government handed over the case to CBI. Before the CBI could start the investigation, an accused Suraj (a Nepalese) died in the police custody, following which violent protests had erupted in Kotkhai region.
On August 29, CBI arrested IG Zaidi and seven other cops in the custodial death case and in the same case the-then Shimla SP DW Negi was arrested on September 16. CBI also submitted a chargesheet against all accused in the custodial death case.