CBI files charge sheet in Kotkhai rape and murder case

The CBI today filed the charge sheet in the gruesome Kotkhai rape and murder case in a trial court here claiming Anil alias Neelu was the prime culprit while six others arrested by the Himachal Pradesh Police were falsely implicated, according to an official.

The probe agency also submitted a fresh status report and a copy of the charge sheet in the High Court here.

The agency, in the 28-page charge sheet, said Neelu, who was arrested by it on April 13 was the main accused while six others arrested by a team constituted by Himachal Pradesh DGP on July 13 were not found involved in the case and were implicated falsely.

The CBI recommended discharge of arrested persons: Rajendra Singh, Lokjan, Subhash, Deepak and Suraj and Ashish Chauhan, the official said.

After the custodial death of an accused Suraj in Kotkhai police station on the night of July 18, the case was handed over to CBI.

In the charge sheet, the CBI claimed Neelu was a habitual offender and allegedly raped and murdered the minor girl on July 4, the day she had gone mission and her body was recovered from Halalia forests on July 6, the official said.

Following public outcry, the Himachal DGP had set up an SIT, headed by Z H Zaidi, IG, but after the custodial death of Suraj, both the cases were handed over to the CBI.

The CBI charge-sheet contained statements of about 60 persons and claimed that it has sufficient evidence for trial of the accused.

The CBI arrested eight persons including IG, Zaidi , DSP, Manoj Joshi and six others in custodial death case on August 29 last year while the then Shimla SP was arrested on November 16 and charge-sheet has been filed against all the accused.

The CBI intensified the investigations in the rape and murder case as the High Court took strong notice of the delay and even summoned the CBI chief.

However, the CBI arrested the key accused on April 13 and told the High Court about the progress and assured that the charge-sheet would be filed within the stipulated time-frame of 90 days. The High Court has fixed the next hearing on June 27.