After outrage, govt orders CBI probe into Kotkhai rape, murder
SHIMLA : Ten days after a 16-yearold school girl was gangraped and murdered, an embarrassed Virbhadra Singh government was faced with public outrage and forced to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Giving in to public pressure in an election year, the Congress government announced the CBI probe following protests in Theog, 35 km from here, when the protesters, including women, vandalised police vehicles on Friday morning.
“In view of the sensitivity of the matter and to remove all doubts, the government has referred the matter to the CBI,” Virbhadra Singh, who also holds the home portfolio, said in a statement. “The rape and murder has shaken the sensibilities of people of Devbhumi,” he said.
Accusing the opposition BJP of politicising the issue, he said, “The mayhem and incidents of destroying public property at Theog today is politically motivated. Instead of sympathising with the victim’s family, the matter is being given a political colour.” The mob vandalised vehicles outside Theog police station, terming the six arrests in the case an eyewash.
A special investigation team, led by inspector general, southern range, Zahur Zaidi, on Thursday claimed to have cracked the case with the arrest of Ashish Chauhan, 29, Rajinder Singh 32, Subash Singh Bisht, 42, Surat Singh, 29, a Nepalese labourer, Lok Jan, 19, also a Nepalese, and Deepak of Pauri Garhwal. The accused were taken to Shimla’s Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for medical examination under tight security but that didn’t stop the crowd from roughing them up.
“Agitated at seeing them in the hospital, a woman threw a slipper at them,” a doctor said, requesting anonymity.
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People from different walks of life in Kotkhai and Chopal gathered at Theog, where the police were to produce the six accused in a court. The crowd grew restive and blocked the highway.
Roshan Lal of Sainj in Chopal said, “Those arrested are not actually involved. This is an eyewash. The police are trying to hush up the case.”
The mob marched to the police station in search of the six arrested but when the cops tried to stop them, they vandalised police vehicles. The mob manhandled Shimla superintendent of police DW Negi and objected to photojournalists taking pictures. Additional police force from Shimla was requisitioned to control the situation.
Zila Parishad member Neelam Seraikh and BJP leaders later held a protest at the Kotkhai police station. “If the police had to arrest four non-Himachalis, they could have done it before. I wonder why those arrested by the police did not go into hiding after committing the crime,” Seraikh said.