CBI arrests SP Negi for custody death

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 16

The CBI, probing the Kotkhai minor rape and murder case and custodial death case, today arrested former Superintendent of Police, Shimla, DW Negi, in connection with the custodial death (Section 302 of IPC) of Suraj, one of the six accused in the rape and murder case.

He was allegedly killed in the Kotkhai police station on the July 18 night.

Negi, who was also a member of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted to probe the rape and murder case, was produced in the special CBI court here which remanded him to police custody till Monday.

Negi had been questioned by the CBI for the past three days and sources said the CBI was asking him to name the real accused in the case. The arrest was made after the CBI questioned two of the remaining five rape accused, who were on bail, and the schoolteacher of the victim, the sources added.

On Wednesday, the CBI had moved an application in the local court seeking permission to take voice samples of the SIT members and its plea would be heard by the designated CBI court tomorrow. The CBI team had been camping in Haliala for the past few days from where the body of the minor victim was found on July 6 and had also taken blood samples of some persons.

The CBI was apprehensive of the role of the SP when the case came to light and he had stayed at Kotkhai for three or four days for investigations. Moreover, he was also questioned on the alleged concocted story of Suraj killing by another accused Rajender. He was questioned earlier also but was not arrested.

SIT, headed by Inspector General of Police ZH Zaidi, was disbanded after the case was handed over to the CBI on the orders of the High Court following custodial death of Suraj. SP Negi was shifted to Vigilance, Police Headquarters, Shimla.

The police arrested Zaidi, DSP Manoj Joshi and six other members of SIT on August 29 and both cases are being monitored by the High Court which has directed the CBI to speed up investigations and file the chargesheet in the custodial death case before the next hearing on November 30.

The CBI is also investigating the financial aspect in the case – has there been any money transaction to save the real culprits, the sources added.

Meanwhile, leader of the opposition P K Dhumal said that we have been maintaining that the people have lost faith in the police and the state government and the arrest of former SP Shimla today have proved our allegations right. We are hopeful that the truth will come out soon.

The rape and murder and custodial death cases had rocked the state and violent protests started in Kotkhai, Theog, Shimla and other parts of the state and the BJP made it a major issue in the Assembly polls.

The Chronology

July 4: A minor girl is reported missing on her way back from school in Kotkhai (Shimla) 

July 6: Her Body was found in the nearby forest in Haliala

July 7: Postmortem confirms rape and murder

July 10: Special investigation team constituted 

July 12: Photos of some suspects were uploaded on the CM's Facebook page and deleted within minutes

July 13: Police say six suspects arrested.

July 14: State government decides to hand over the case to CBI

July 19: Suraj, an accused in the case, was allegedly killed by another accused, Rajender alias Raju in police lockup

July 19: A mob torches Kotkhai police station, vehicles and people block roads at Theog

July 19: HC asks CBI to probe both the rape case and custodial death of the accused

July 19: Members of Special Investigation Team including IG Southern Range, SP Shimla and Additional SP Shimla shifted

July 20: Opposition BJP calls for Shimla bandh

July 22 - CBI registers two cases under Sections 302, 376 of IPC and Section 4 of POCSO Act relating to rape and murder of a minor girl and another case under section 302 of IPC relating to custodial death of Suraj.

August 17 - The court perused the status reports filed by the CBI and also impleaded the SIT members and asked them to file individual affidavits by July 24.

August 29 - Eight police officials arrested in connection with custodial death of Suraj.

November 16 - CBI arrests Former Shimla SP D W Negi.