CBI Court convicts Himachal IGP and Seven others in Kotkhai custodial death case
Shimla/ Chd, Jan 18,
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Chandigarh on Saturday reportedly, found Himachal Pradesh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zahur Haider Zaidi and seven other police personnel guilty in connection with the custodial death of an accused in the infamous 2017 Kotkhai gangrape and murder case.
The convicted individuals include former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Manoj Joshi, Sub-Inspector (SI) Rajinder Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Deep Chand Sharma, Head Constables Mohan Lal and Surat Singh, Head Constable Rafee Mohammad, and Constable Ranit Sateta. Meanwhile, former Superintendent of Police (SP) DW Negi was acquitted of all charges.
” Vide separate judgment of even date, the accused no.9 (Dandub Wangial Negi @ D.W. Negi) has been acquitted of all the charges framed against him. His bail bonds and surety bonds stands discharged,” read the court order. Adding,” Accused no.1 to accused no.8 have been held guilty for commission of offences punishable under Section 120-B, 302 read with 120- B, 330 read with 120-B, 348 read with 120-B, 195 read with 120-B, 196 read with 120-B, 218 read with 120-B & 201 read with 120-B of Indian Penal Code, “directed the order by Alka Malik, Special Judge CBI Court.
“Till then, convicts namely Zahur Haider Zaidi, Manoj Joshi, Rajinder Singh, Deep Chand Sharma, Mohan Lal, Surat Singh, Rafee Mohammad & Ranjeet Steta, be kept in judicial custody and be produced before this court on 27.01.2025 at 10:00 AM sharp. Their custody warrants be prepared accordingly,” concluded the court order.
The quantum of the sentence will be pronounced on January 27, 2025.
Background
The tragic case dates back to July 4, 2017, when a 16-year-old girl went missing from Kotkhai in Himachal Pradesh. Two days later, her body was discovered in a forested area, and the post-mortem report confirmed both rape and murder. The heinous crime sparked massive public outrage across the state, prompting the then government to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the leadership of IGP Zaidi.
The SIT initially arrested six individuals in connection with the case. However, one of the accused, Suraj Singh, died in police custody at the Kotkhai police station on July 18, 2017.
This custodial death raised serious questions about police conduct, prompting the Himachal Pradesh High Court to transfer the investigation of both the gangrape and custodial death cases to the CBI.
CBI’s investigation and legal proceedings
The CBI registered the case on July 22, 2017, and subsequently arrested IGP Zaidi and other police officers. The investigation revealed that Suraj Singh, along with other accused, was subjected to severe torture in custody, allegedly to extract a confession.
Medical reports from AIIMS confirmed over 20 injuries on Suraj’s body, indicating brutal physical assault. According to the CBI, the accused fabricated evidence to mislead authorities, falsely claiming that Suraj was killed by another accused, Rajinder, inside the police lockup.
In 2019, the Supreme Court transferred the custodial death trial from Shimla to Chandigarh, ensuring a speedy and impartial hearing. The CBI subsequently filed a chargesheet against Zaidi and the others, presenting a strong case supported by statements from over 52 witnesses.
Court verdict
The court convicted eight police personnel based on evidence that they inflicted grievous injuries on Suraj Singh to coerce a confession and later destroyed key evidence to cover up their actions. It was also proven that Zaidi submitted a misleading report to the Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), deliberately omitting crucial details and fabricating the narrative.
Public Prosecutor Amit Jindal highlighted that the custodial torture and subsequent attempts to manipulate the investigation demonstrated a severe abuse of power. On the other hand, counsels for DW Negi successfully argued that their client had no role in the crime, leading to his acquittal.
About the Author
The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
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