CBI TAKES OVER PROBE INTO KOTKHAI MURDER

NEWDELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday took over the investigation into the Kotkhai gangrape and murder case and registered two first information reports (FIRs).

The first FIR pertains to the gangrape and murder of the 16-year-old school student.

The FIR in this case was registered at the Kotkhai police station on July 6 under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code.

The second FIR is related to the murder of Suraj Singh, one of the six accused for the gangrape and murder, in police custody.

SHIMLA The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday took over the investigation into the Kotkhai gangrape and murder case and registered two first information reports (FIRs).

The first FIR pertains to the gangrape and murder of the 16-year-old school student. The FIR in this case was registered at the Kotkhai police station on July 6 under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code.

The second FIR is related to the murder of Suraj Singh, one of the six accused for the gangrape and murder, in police custody. Earlier, the FIR in this case was registered at the Kotkhai police station under Section 302.

Suraj’s death in custody triggered violent protests in Kotkhai on July 19. The same day, the Himachal Pradesh high court ordered the CBI take over the investigation.

“The CBI has set up a special investigation team (SIT), led by a superintendent of police (SP). It includes an additional SP and a deputy SP,” the central investigating agency said in a statement here.

“The probe is on in both the cases. The team has proceeded to the scene of the crime,” it said.

The victim, a Class 10 student, went missing on July 4.

Her body was found in a ditch in the woods near her school two days later.

The post-mortem report revealed she was gangrpaed before being murdered. This led to a widespread public outrage in the area after which the government formed an SIT headed by inspector general of police (IGP) Zahur Haider Zaidi. On July 13, the SIT claimed to have cracked the case and arrested six persons.

People alleged that the police were shielding the real culprits who belonged to influential families and framing the labourers. Protests were held across Shimla district.

Succumbing to public pressure, chief minister Virbhadra Singh wrote to the Centre for a CBI probe into the case.

The CBI has set up a special investigation team, headed by a superintendent of police. It includes an additional SP and a deputy SP. The probe is on in both the cases. The team has proceeded to the scene of the crime. CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION IN A STATEMENT