Chandigarh: Special Judge for CBI Cases in Chandigarh, Ms. Alka Malik, sentenced eight police officials, including former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Z.H. Zaidi, to life imprisonment for their involvement in the custodial death of Suraj Singh in 2017.
This verdict is a significant development in the aftermath of the Kotkhai Gudiya rape and murder case.
Background of the Case:
In July 2017, the body of a minor girl, referred to as 'Gudiya', was discovered in the Hailaila forest of Kotkhai tehsil in Shimla district. The heinous nature of the crime led to widespread public outrage and protests across Himachal Pradesh.
In response, the state government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by IGP Z.H. Zaidi to probe the incident. The SIT arrested six individuals in connection with the case.
During the investigation, one of the accused, Suraj Singh, died under mysterious circumstances while in police custody.
The SIT alleged that another accused, Rajinder alias Raju, was responsible for Suraj's death. However, subsequent investigations revealed that Suraj died due to custodial torture inflicted by the police officials.
CBI Investigation and Findings:
The Himachal Pradesh High Court transferred both the Gudiya rape and murder case and the custodial death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) due to the sensitivity and public outcry surrounding the incidents. The CBI's investigation concluded that the six individuals initially arrested by the SIT were innocent and had been falsely implicated. The agency uncovered evidence of custodial torture and a subsequent cover-up attempt by the police officials involved.
Convicted Officials:
The officials convicted in the custodial death case are:
1. Z.H. Zaidi – Then IGP (Southern Range), Shimla
2. Manoj Joshi – Then Deputy Superintendent of Police (Theog), Shimla
3. Rajinder Singh – Then Station House Officer (SHO) of Police Station Kotkhai
4. Deep Chand – Then Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Police Station Kotkhai
5. Mohan Lal – Then Head Constable
6. Surat Singh – Then Head Constable
7. Rafee Mohammad – Then Head Constable
8. Ranjeet Singh – Then Constable
They were found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including:
Section 120B – Criminal conspiracy
Section 302 – Murder
Section 330 – Voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession
Section 348 – Wrongful confinement to extort confession
Sections 218, 195, 196, and 201 – Related to fabrication and destruction of evidence
The court had pronounced the verdict on January 18, 2025, and reserved the announcement of the quantum of sentence for January 27, 2025. On the sentencing day, all eight convicted officials were handed life imprisonment terms.
Acquittal:
The court discharged D.W. Negi, the then Superintendent of Police (SP) of Shimla, citing a lack of evidence against him in the custodial death case.
Current Status of the Gudiya Case:
In a separate trial concerning the Gudiya rape and murder, the CBI arrested Anil alias Nilu, a laborer, who was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court.
