HP tourism corp sends another reminder to CBI to foot ₹5-lakh lodging, food bill

SHIMLA :The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) has sent yet another reminder to the CBI to foot Rs 5 lakh bill incurred on lodging and food during its probe into the sensational Kotkhai rape and murder and the custodial death of one of the accused.

The federal agency has so far spent nearly Rs 21 lakh only on the vehicles hired and Rs 5 lakh on lodging and food at its posh Hotel Peterhoff for investigating the case that triggered protests across the state.

The CBI team headed by an inspector general (IG)-rank officer had shifted its base camp from the central government’s guesthouse at Grand Hotel to Peterhoff after it took over the probe on July 20.

“We have sent yet another letter to them (CBI) to pay the bill,” said an HPTDC official requesting anonymity.

The CBI team moved frequently from Shimla to Kotkhai’s Halaila village where the 15-year-old girl’s naked body was found in a forest area on July 6, two days after she went missing from school where she studied in Class 10.

The state government’s general administration department (GAD) had arranged the vehicles for the CBI team.

“Of the Rs 21 lakh spent on vehicles, the agency has paid us Rs 16.28 lakh while the rest of amount is still pending,” said a government official. Also, the government is yet to clear dues amounting to Rs 1 lakh for the CBI team’s lodging at Grand Hotel.