Accused in the custodial murder of an accused in Kotkhai gangrape case, senior IPS officer Z H Zaidi, the suspended IG of Himachal Pradesh police, has sought leave from prison to get his Aadhar number linked with his bank account.
Appearing in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Ranjeet Singh, Zaidi said that he had to get his Aadhar card linked with his bank account and he should be allowed to go home for that.
Zaidi, facing charges in the custodial murder case of Suraj, was produced in the court with the other arrested cops, where the court sent them again on judicial remand for next two weeks. Zaidi was produced with suspended SP, D. W. Negi, DSP Manoj Joshi, SHO Rajinder Singh and five others.
CBI has already filed its charge-sheet against all these accused cops. The cops are facing charge of custodial death of Suraj Kumar who was allegedly killed during custodial torture on Jul 18 at Kotkhai police station. Suraj was arrested in the Kotkhai gang rape and murder case by the SIT, headed by Zaidi.
During the appearance of all the accused police officials, counsel for CBI Shusil Negi filed an application for extension of time for the investigation agency to get prosecution sanction against the accused cops. He said that the CBI had not been able to get the Himachal Pradesh government’s sanction to prosecute the accused police officers. Fixing December 19 as the next date of hearing in the matter, the court has fixed hearing on the plea of CBI and Zaidi on the next day.
During the hearing, CBI’s application for recording of voice samples of the accused police officers could also not be heard as the bar association had passed a resolution barring all the advocates to appear for the accused police officers.
The brutal Kotkhai gang rape had came to light on July 6 and it had jolted the entire hill state. The case was handed over to the premier investigation agency on July 19 after the state faced unprecedented public ire and demonstrations all over the State.
The SIT constituted by the state government had nabbed 6 people in connection with the Kotkhai gang rape and murder case, in which a 16 year old school girl was kidnapped on July 4 and her body was dumped into a forest area near Kotkhai after brutal gang rape.
The case took a disgusting turn, when an accused, Suraj, arrested by the SIT of Himachal Pradesh was murdered in the police lock up. The death of Suraj in police custody led to violent protests throughout the State.
The CBI, while has not made any more arrests in the Kotkhai gang rape case but it arrested 9 officials of Himachal Pradesh, including IG, S H Zaidi, the head of SIT constituted by Himachal Pradesh Government before handing over the case to CBI.
CBI had got Narco-analysis test and polygraph tests conducted on the five accused arrested by the Himachal Pradesh police. Agency is said to have grilled more than 200 people in relation to the Kotkhai gang rape and murder case.