CBI ने किया गुड़िया केस सुलझाने का दावा, मगर सवाल बरकरार

CBI SOLVES A SENSITIVE CASE OF RAPE AND MURDER OF A MINOR GIRL OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

The Central Bureau of Investigation has solved a sensitive case relating to rape & murder of a minor girl, resident of Shirgul, Tehsil Theog, Police Station Kotkhai, District Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) and arrested the accused, resident of Tehsil Baijnath, District Kangra (Himachal Pradesh). He was arrested on 13th April, 2018 and was remanded 12 days Police Custody by the Competent Court at Shimla. After thorough interrogation, he was produced today before the Designated Court and was remanded to Judicial Custody till 7th May, 2018.

CBI had registered two cases on 22.07.2017 on the orders dated 19.07.2017 of Hon’ble High Court of Himachal Pradesh, in CWPIL No.88 of 2017 and taken over the investigation of FIR No. 97 of 2017 dated 06.07.2017, under Sections 302, 376 of IPC & Section 4 of POCSO Act registered earlier at Police Station, Kotkhai, District Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) relating to rape & murder of a minor girl and another FIR No. 101 of 2017 dated 19.07.2017 U/s 302 of IPC earlier registered at Police Station, Kotkhai, District Shimla relating to custodial death of one of the accused arrested by Local Police in connection with investigation of said FIR No. 97 of 2017. The Himachal Pradesh Police had earlier arrested six accused in this case. Out of these one had died under alleged mysterious circumstances in police custody for which separate FIR No. 101/2017 was registered by local police.

After taking over the investigation, CBI had arrested nine Police officials of Himachal Pradesh including then Inspector General of Police, Southern Range; then SP, Shimla; then DSP (SDOP), Theog; a Sub-Inspector & then SHO, Kotkhai; an ASI; three Head Constables and one Constable, all working in Himachal Pradesh on 29.08.2017 in a case relating to custodial death of one of the then accused Suraj Singh. All the said arrested accused are presently in Judicial Custody.

In the instant case, it was alleged that the victim had left Government Senior Secondary School, Mahashu on 04.07.2017 at about 4.30 p.m. She did not reach home and her dead body was recovered on 06.07.2017 from the forest area of Hailalla, Kotkhai, District Shimla.

CBI instituted an elaborate investigation and also announced a reward of Rs.10 lakh to anyone from general public for providing credible information resulting in arrest of real culprits.

After taking over the case, CBI formed separate teams including SP, ASP, DSP, Inspectors & other supporting staff who were continuously camped in the region and worked day & night for the last nine months to finally crack the case.

The team started by thoroughly combing the various areas including forests where the body of victim was found and questioned over one thousand people in this sparsely populated region. The CBI team collected around 250 blood samples and its CFSL experts conducted various scientific tests including DNA profiling by using advance techniques of ‘percentage match’ and ‘lineage match’. After thorough examining of these scientific tests, the DNA profiles extracted from samples seized from scene of crime were matched with the DNA samples.

The area of investigation included Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and Uttarakhand etc. It was also alleged that the arrested accused did not carry any mobile phone and was not in touch with his family but CBI kept watch on certain people whom he could call from public phones or phones of the other people. Subsequently, the suspect was tracked and apprehended from a Village near Hatkoti, District Shimla.

The Director CBI, Sh. Alok Kumar Verma has been monitoring the progress of the case from day one. He expressed satisfaction at the work done by the investigative team and forensic experts of CFSL, CBI, for solving a sensitive and difficult case.

Further investigation in the case is continuing.