CBI examines body of accused who was found dead in custody

days after a Nepalese national accused in the Kotkhai rape case died in police custody, a multi-member team of forensic experts from the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) re-examined his body preserved at the IGMC hospital.

Suraj was one of the six accused in the case. His death in custody intensified the ongoing protests against the “botched-up investigations” in the rape and murder case.

Medical Superintendent Dr Ramesh Chand said the team included three members from the forensics. “The members also met the IGMC team of experts, which had conducted the autopsy.”

Suraj’s wife Mamata, who had visited the hospital on July 21 to identify the body, has been shifted to the women’s shelter at Mashobra, 12 kms from here. Mamata has been demanding an early release of the body. The CBI sleuths who split into different teams to probe the gang rape and custodial death, are visiting different locations.

Earlier, a CBI team had visited the crime scene at Hilaila village in Kotkhai tehsil. They also questioned the locals about the antecedents of the six main accused.

It was on July 13 that the police had claimed a breakthrough and arrested six persons. They included Ashish Chauhan, alias Ashu (29), a resident of Sharaal village in Mahasu area of Kotkhai; Rajender Singh, alias Raju (32), the driver of a pick-up vehicle and a resident of Hilaila village, Subash Singh Bisht (42) of Pauri Garhwal, Suraj Singh (29) of Nepal, Lok Jan (19) of Nepal and Deepak (38) of Garhwal.

CBI took over the investigations into the Kotkhai gangrape and murder case and registered two first information reports (FIRs).