CUSTODY OF 9 COPS EXTENDED TILL NOV 25

SHIMLA:The local court on Thursday sent nine police officials, including an IG rank officer, in connection with the custodial death of an accused in the rape and murder case of a minor in Kotkhai on July 4.

Inspector general of police ZH Zaidi, former Shimla SP DW Negi, and seven other police officers were arrested by the CBI on July 29 for the death of Suraj in police custody. The court is likely to pass an order on CBI’s plea seeking permission to conduct voice sampling test on November 25.

No one appeared on behalf of the accused arrested earlier in the case. The district court bar association had earlier passed a resolution that none of its member will plead case of the accused in the Kotkhai rape and murder case, which sent shock waves across the hill state.

The Shimla court bar association had passed a resolution that none of its member would plead the case of accused in Kotkhai rape and murder case. The association, however, will review its decision on Monday.

SHANTA KUMAR WRITES TO RAJNATH

DHARAMSHALA: Raising questions over ‘tardy’ pace of probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Kotkhai rape and murder case, Kangra Member Parliament Shanta Kumar on Thursday wrote to Union home minister Rajnath Singh seeking his intervention.

“I am very concerned due to recent happenings in Himachal Pradesh which is otherwise considered a peaceful state. I seek your attention and expect you to direct the CBI to pace up probe in both Gudiya case and Hoshiyar case,” the MP wrote.

“If CBI failed to nab culprits, it will erode trust of people on the central investigation agency,” he added. Flaying the CBI for slow progress in the case, he wrote in the letter, “The CBI too has failed to nab real culprits even after five months.”