Himachal Pradesh: Kotkhai rape and murder case back in focus
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh's most horrifying case of rape and murder at Kotkhai is back in focus once again and this time with a new twist.
The two forensic experts, who had conducted polygraph and Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature Profiling (BEO) tests, reiterated their findings that there was a possibility of more than one person involved in the case.
The CBI, which had investigated the case on High Court orders, had arrested one person – Anil Kumar, a woodcutter on the basis DNA sampling in April 2018 -- nine months after the incident.
The 16-year old girl had gone missing in Mahasu area of Kotkhai on July 4, on her way back from the school. Her body was found two days later in the nearby forests.
The case had triggered widespread protests and violence in Shimla and other parts of the state, which called for the intervention of the state High Court, and eventually ordered the CBI to investigate the case, beside custodial death of a suspect Suraj at Kotkhai police station.
On Saturday, during hearing of the case at Chandigarh-based CBI court HV Acharya, assistant director, Forensic Science Laboratory, Gandhinagar, and Hemangi Shah assistant director, Forensic Psychological Division, Directorate of Forensic Science, Gandhinagar stood to a cross-examination on their observations submitted to the CBI after having done detailed scientific tests on the suspects.
"The two were cross-examined regarding the findings of the report. Acharya and Shah both reiterated that there is a strong possibility of involvement of more than one person," reports from Chandigarh
said.
A family member of the victim, who did not wish to be identified said "we have been bearing the torture of losing our teenage daughter. Despite all our efforts, repeated assurances and High Court orders, we haven't got justice. We strongly suspect the role of some influential persons."
After the incident, the police had set-up an SIT under Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zahoor Zaidi, which had arrested six persons. One of them – Suraj, a Nepali, died in the custody.
Five accused were subjected to polygraph, Narco and BEO tests in connection with the case in September 2017 at Gandhi Nagar in Gujarat.
Both experts had jointly prepared the comprehensive forensic psychological report on their findings of the tests, which are part of the evidence in the case.
The CBI, besides rape and murder case, had also filed a case of murder against six policemen – who constituted the SIT of Himachal Pradesh police before the case was handed over to the CBI. They included then IPG (Shimla) Zaidi and local Superintended of police D W Negi.
