KOTKHAI CASE: CBI ARRESTS FORMER SHIMLA SP NEGI
Remanded in police custody till Nov 20
SHIMLA The CBI on Thursday arrested former Shimla superintendent of police DW Negi, taking the number of arrests to nine in the sensational Kotkhai rape case that rocked Himachal Pradesh. The CBI had registered two cases on the direction of the Himachal Pradesh high court in July this year to probe the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl and the second related to the custodial death of an accused, Suraj Singh, arrested by Himachal Pradesh Police.
SHIMLA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested DW Negi, former superintendent of police Shimla, for an alleged “cover-up” in the custodial death of a suspect in the Kotkhai schoolgirl’s rape and murder case.
He was picked up by the CBI team on Thursday afternoon and produced before a local court, which sent to remand till November 20.
Negi, who is considered to be close to chief minister Virbhadra Singh, was part of the special investigation team (SIT) constituted to crack the case.
The former police chief was removed from his post and transferred to the state anti-corruption and vigilance bureau, after Suraj, a Nepalese national and a suspect in the Kotkhai rape and murder case, was found dead in custody. The death had sparked off violent protests across the district.
The SP is the ninth person to be arrested in this case by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The central probe agency had in August arrested eight Himachal Pradesh Police officials, including Inspector General Z H Zaidi, in connection with the custodial death of Suraj.
WHAT LED TO THE TOP COP’S ARREST
After the CBI took over the probe on July 22, it’s officials started scouting for clues to unravel the mystery shrouding the death of the Nepalese labourer, who according to police theory had died after a scuffle with another co-accused Rajender Singh aka Raju, a pick-up van driver.
The CBI officials scanned call details of more than 100 phones and confiscated the mobile sets of more than 50 persons, including that of the then Shimla police chief DW Negi.
While scanning the records, the officials detected some numbers that were frequently used, which led to suspicion of police involvement.
Sentry of duty Dinesh Kumar’s confessions proved vital in the arrest of inspector general of police Zahur Zaidi, who headed the SIT. Dinesh had reportedly recorded a telephonic conversation he had with the police officer after and before Suraj’s death.
Earlier on Wednesday, the CBI had filed an application seeking the court’s nod to conduct a voicesample test of eight cops arrested in the custodial death case. The lower court will hear the petition on November 17.