8 cops held for custody death in Shimla rape case

In a significant development, the CBI on Tuesday arrested eight senior police officials, including inspector general of Police (IGP-Southern Range) Zahoor H. Zaidi, of Himachal Pradesh in connection with the custodial death of an accused in the sensational gangrape and murder case of a schoolgirl in Shimla last month. The rape-andmurder of the Class 10 student in Kotkhai area of Shimla district had sparked an outrage. Her body was recovered from a nearby forest two days later.

According to sources other seven policemen of Southern Range (Himachal Pradesh) who have been arrested include: DSP Manoj Joshi, the then SHO of Kotkhai Rajinder Singh, ASI Deep Chand Sharma, two head constables and one constable.

During the probe of the July 4 gangrape-and-murder case, the state police had taken custody of six suspects who were lodged at the local police station. Suraj Singh, a 29-year-old labourer from Nepal, was allegedly killed by a coaccused at the Kotkhai police station last month, triggering a massive public outrage.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which was later handed over the probe into the case by the Himachal Pradesh high court, questioned several people before arresting 1994-batch Indian Police Service officer Zaidi, the then IGP, Manoj Joshi, the then deputy superintendent of police, and six other police officials, sources said.

The death of one of the accused named Suraj in police custody had raised suspicion on the role of the police in the case, sources said adding that their (policemen) alleged role in the custody death will now be probed by the CBI.

The agency has registered two separate FIRs on the rape-and-murder of the minor girl and the custodial death of the suspect.