Buses off road, shops shut in Shimla

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 20

The life in the state capital today came to a standstill as a Shimla bandh call given by the BJP to protest the Kotkhai rape and murder case and custodial death of an accused in the police lock-up evoked a massive response.

Barring a few stray incidents of stone throwing at the police near the Secretariat, breaking the windows of HRTC and private buses at Toland, the protests were peaceful. BJP workers squatted at the Victory Tunnel, blocking the circular road and observed silence to pay homage to the victim.

The entire stretch of the road between Dhalli and Sanjauli was blocked as hundreds of protesters, led by Chopal MLA Balbir Singh Verma and the BJP councillor from Dhalli, marched towards Chhota Shimla. They gheraoed the Secretariat and raised anti-government and anti-police slogans.

Amid rain, the agitators blocked roads at Khalini, Shimla bypass, Totu, Bouleauganj, Ghanati and vehicles were seen stranded at various places. However, the blockade was lifted in less than an hour. The BJP also took out a protest march from the Victory Tunnel via Ram Bazaar and CTO to The Ridge, Chakkar to Totu, Dhalli via Sanjauli to Chhota Shimla and New Shimla to Khalini.

Local BJP MLA Suresh Bhardwaj accused the police and the state government of shielding the real culprits and said the custodial death of an accused, Suraj, had raised serious doubts about their functioning and sought action against erring policemen.

A BJP delegation, led by Suresh Bhardwaj and state BJP vice-president Ganesh Dutt, submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding imposition of President Rule. The leaders said anarchy prevailed in the state and now the public was out on the road protesting the lawlessness.

Meanwhile, on a call given by the Shimla Nagrik Sabha, hundreds of people gathered at the DC’s office to express solidarity with the victim’s family.

The protesters, who were apprehensive about the role of the police in the custodial death, marched towards Raj Bhawan to express anger over the issue.

Meanwhile, the agitators also blocked the Hindustan-Tibet National Highway at Theog, 32 km from here, and protests were also witnessed at Kotkhai. The police were deployed across the district to avoid any untoward situation.

The buses were off roads and parked along the road due to ‘chakka jam’ and some private vehicles were seen plying on the roads. All shops were closed and supply of daily needs commodities was hit causing inconvenience to residents. Office-goers and schoolchildren were the worst hit.

The ABVP which blocked the road at the Police Headquarters accused both state and the Centre of delay in handing over the case to the CBI and demanded that evidence be immediately handed over to the CBI.

Protesters targeted the state government for inapt functioning and even did not spare the BJP.

Shimla district organising secretary of the ABVP Gaurav Attri claimed that even the BJP was politicising the issue. “We are here for a cause and will not tolerate politics over this sensitive issue,” he added.

The students were pacified by Atul Verma, ADGP, Law and Order, who said the probe had been given to the CBI and assured that the guilty would not be spared.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the common man who came to Raj Bhawan, seeking justice for the victim, were upset as they were not allowed to meet the Governor. The protesters said they were not associated with any political party, social organisation or other bodies and just gathered from all across the state to express their emotions to the Governor.

HC asks CBI to probe custodial death

Shimla: The High Court has asked the CBI to investigate the custodial death of an accused in the rape and murder of a girl.  Directing the CBI to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) on Wednesday, a Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sandeep Sharma also entrusted the task of investigating the custodial death of an accused at the Kotkhai police station with the CBI. The court had also directed the three-member SIT of CBI officials to investigate the role played by officers /officials /functionaries of the state in connection thereto and file its status report within two weeks. It was on July 12, 2017, that the HC took suo motu cognizance of the matter and after assurance given by the state government that the matter was being investigated in a fair and proper manner, the case was listed for August 2. Following this, the SP (Shimla) moved an application before the court for early hearing for the case on July 17. OC