Former deputy advocate general demands re-probe

One of the reports was not presented in the HP high court or special court Shimla but was presented by the CBI at the Chandigarh court as evidence against the SIT in the lock-up murder case. VINAY SHARMA, former deputy advocate general

SHIMLA: Former deputy advocate general Vinay Sharma on Sunday demanded reinvestigation of the Kothkhai rape and murder case that had sent ripples across Himachal ahead of the 2017 assembly elections.

The CBI had indicted the special investigation team (SIT) for the custodial death of one of the prime suspects and had later arrested a woodcutter for rape and murder of the schoolgirl.

The CBI had conducted brain electrical oscillation signature profiling of the suspects in the Directorate of Forensic Science, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. As per the reports, the experiential knowledge of the suspects matched the crime details, which indicated that the crime had been committed by the suspects.

As per the reports, the statements of the accused matched the details of crime. One of the accused had admitted that he drank Himalayan orange liquor, a bottle of which, had been found at the crime scene, and that the victim was wearing white trousers, which was also true.

The reports also state that the victim was well-built and as the body of the victim was recovered 600 metres from the crime scene, it indicated that the crime could not have been committed by a single person. Also, the woodcutter was shorter and leaner than the victim and it was not possible for him to commit the crime alone.

He had alleged that there was a conspiracy to defame the then ruling state government and the SIT. Sharma said “The report was not presented in the Himachal Pradesh high court or special court Chakkar but was presented by the CBI at the Chandigarh court as evidence against the SIT in the lock-up murder case. But as per the report, the SIT was successful in arresting the real culprits.” “Recently, the victim’s parents met CM Jai Ram Thakur and demanded that the case be reinvestigated,” he said. In July 2017, a 16-year-old school girl was raped and murdered in Kotkhai after which the police had arrested six culprits within 10 days. One of the culprits,suraj, was found dead in Kotkhai Police Station on July 18, 2017.

The case was then handed over to CBI who gave a clean chit to all the arrested accused. As per the CBI, the rape and murder was committed by a single person. During the trial, two forensic experts from Gandhinagar lab said there was possibility of more than one person’s involvement.