Nepalese national died of torture injuries, says CBI chargesheet

EVIDENCE FABRICATED SIT had claimed that Suraj was killed in a scuffle inside the lockup with another accused

SHIMLA : The Central Bureau of Investigation in its chargesheet accused the Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by IG Zahur Zaidi of falsely implicating Nepalese national Suraj, who was one of the suspects in the Kotkhai rape and murder case and died in police custody on July 18. The CBI in its challan alleged that the SIT had fraudulently fabricated evidence after his death in police custody.

The CBI, which took over the investigation on July 22 after a Himachal High court order on July 19, filed the challan on November 25 in the lower court.

“After the formation of the SIT, inspector general (IG) Zahur Zaidi, the then Shimla superintendent of police (SP) DW Negi, Theog deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Manoj Joshi and other accused police officers entered into a criminal conspiracy to falsely implicate Suraj Singh and others in the Kotkhai rape and murder case,” read the CBI’s chargesheet, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times.

It further said that the SIT arrested Suraj Singh and four others on July 13 even though there was no evidence against them.

“Further, a team of police officials comprising Joshi, sub-inspector Rajinder Singh who is the head of Kotkhai police station, assistant sub-inspector Deep Chand, head constables Rafee Mohammad, Mohan Lal, Surat Singh and Ranjeet Streta tortured him to extract the confession to the crime,” the CBI said, adding, “It caused bodily injuries intentionally from July 13 to July 18— till his death which were sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause his death.”

The challan further reads, “Zaidi and the other cops (SIT members) dishonestly and fraudulently fabricated the evidence and filed a murder case against another accused Rajinder.” The CBI also accused the SIT of destroying the evidence relating to Suraj’s death.

‘ONE ACCUSED MADE TO CONFESS AT GUNPOINT’

As per the CBI, DSP Manoj Joshi and his team picked Rajinder, Deepak, Lokjan, Suraj Singh and Subhash—the accused in Kotkhai rape and murder case on July 6 and took them to Chhaila police post. “These persons were questioned, beaten and tortured by the police team led by DSP Manoj Joshi. A service pistol was shown to Deepak to coerce him to confess the crime and falsely name others in the crime,” the CBI told the court in the chargesheet that runs into more than 500 pages.

‘WHAT HAPPENED ON JULY 18’

The CBI said that the team comprising sub-inspector Rajinder Singh, head of Kotkhai police station, assistant sub-inspector Deep Chand, head constables Rafee Mohammad, Mohan Lal, Surat Singh and Ranjeet Streta subjected Suraj to brutal torture under the supervision of DSP Manoj Joshi.

Due to multiple injuries, Suraj died in the lock up and soon after the incident, the DSP left the police station and also made his departure entry in the general diary. The CBI also alleged that Joshi asked the cops at police station to remain silent and assured that he will resolve the matter with help of senior officials.

‘AIIMS MEDICAL BOARD CONFIRMS CUSTODIAL TORTURE RESULTING IN DEATH’

The CBI re-examined Suraj’s body on July 25 in the presence of experts from AIIMS.

“The injuries on Suraj’s body were sustained by a blunt hard cylindrical object such as “lathi’. The medical board also rules out the possibility of sustaining injury in a scuffle with another individual,” the chargesheet read.

The injuries on Suraj’s body were sustained by a blunt hard cylindrical object such as “lathi’. The medical board also rules out the possibility of sustaining injury in a scuffle with another individual.

CBI CHARGESHEET