The Central Bureau of Investigation has got two weeks more to conclude the investigation in the infamous Kotkhai gang rape and murder case, as the High Court of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday granted two weeks to file next status report in the matter.
CBI filed its third status report in the investigation of both the cases related to Kotkhai gang rape case, and sought four more weeks to conclude the investigation. This was the first hearing of the matter in the high court, after CBI arrested eight cops of Himachal Pradesh police in the case of custodial death of Suraj, the accused in Kotkhai gang rape. The cops, including suspended IG ZH Zaidi and DSP Manoj Joshi are still under remand of CBI.
Directing the investigation agency to expedite the investigation, a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sandeep Sharma granted only two more weeks to the investigating team to file the next status report. The bench also prohibited CBI from revealing anything substantial before bringing it in the knowledge of the court.
Anshul Bansal, counsel for CBI, told that Special Investigation Units (SIU) had sought four more weeks for the investigation but the court has allowed only two weeks for presenting next status report in the matter. He said that CBI had also moved an application to get the copies of personal affidavits furnished by eight members of Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the High Court.
Bansal told that the court did not pass any orders on the application yet on the application of CBI seeking copies of affidavits. During the hearing, Director General of State Police, Somesh Goel also remained present in the court and submitted an additional affidavit about the role of state police in the investigation of Kotkhai gang rape and murder case.
Granting two weeks for the investigation, the Division Bench has directed CBI to come up with further status report on September 21.
The Kotkhai gang rape and murder case had come to light on July 6, while the victim 16 year old girl was kidnapped on July 4. later, the SIT constituted by the state government had arrested 6 people in the case, out of which, one Suraj was murdered in the custody of state police.