Giving in to the aggressive public pressure, Himachal Pradesh Government on Friday ordered CBI probe into the Kotkhai gang rape and murder.Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh ordered CBI investigation in the matter, after serious questions were raised by the people on the police investigation and the arrest of 6 accused in the crime.
Massive public protest was witnessed on Friday as hundreds of people blocked the Indo-Tibet National Highway at Theog. The protesters even gheraoed the police station, when Superintendent of Police DW Negi was present there. The protest was primarily led by student associations SFI and DYFI and some local leaders also joined the protesters.
Posing serious doubts on the Himachal Pradesh police investigation, protesters alleged that the real culprits might still be roaming free and the police investigation in the matter did not have public trust.
Demanding CBI probe, the protesters even accused the police of shielding the real culprits. The police authorities including the Superintendent of Police DW Negi and Dy SP Manoj Joshi had to face public wrath as Joshi was even meted out a raw deal, when he was trying to pacify the protesters.
One police van was damaged by the protesters and the highway was kept blocked for hours till noon.later on, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh after getting back from Kullu, after a two day tour, took stock of the situation and ordered that the case be referred to CBI.
In a Press statement, the Chief Minister said, “keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter in Gudia rape and murder case in Kotkhai and to remove all doubts, if any, the Government has decided to refer the matter to the CBI”.
He said a high level team was constituted for investigation after the matter came into notice and a police team led by an officer of the rank of DGP himself went for probe. “The rape and murder of Gudia shook the sensibilities of the people of the Devbhumi,” he said.The State Government moved with alacrity and necessary directions were issued to the Director General of Police to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for nabbing the culprits.
On the basis of investigations carried by the SIT, few people were arrested and while they were being brought to Shimla the convoy was attacked by an organised group, already waiting.
“I may say that the entire mayhem and incidents of destroying of public property at Theog, was politically motivated, as instead of having sympathies with the family of Gudia, the matter was being given a political colour”, he said.
Notwithstanding this, the State Government has decided to refer the matter to CBI, so that no doubts were left in anybody’s mind, said the Chief Minister.Just a day back, Himachal police had claimed to have cracked the mystery of gang rape and murder of the 16 year old school girl with arrest of 6 people.The accused, aged between 19 and 42, included two Nepalese and two persons from Uttarakhand, mainly farm labourers settled in Kotkhai area where the crime happened.
As per the police version of the crime, the 16-year-old girl was offered a lift in a vehicle by the accused on July 4 when she was returning home from school. On the way, the accused raped and murdered her in a nearby forest. Her body was found two days later.
The arrested persons are prime accused Rajinder Singh, who offered her the lift, Ashish Chauhan, Subhash Bisht, Deepak Kumar, Surat Singh and lokjan. The police had said the prime accused had developed familiarity with the victim as he offered her lift twice earlier.