Kothkai rape and murder case: Key accused taken for spot identification

The CBI probing the gang-rape and killing of a minor girl near here, took the key accused in the case to various places and adjoining forests in Kothkai area today for spot identification, official sources said.

The key accused was arrested earlier this month.

CBI officials took the accused to the spot where the body of the 16-year-old girl was recovered on July 6 last year and other locations, the sources said.

They said possibilities of some more arrests in the case before April 25, the date set for filing of fresh status report in the case, cannot be ruled out.

The infamous case pertains to the gang-rape and murder of the 16-year-old girl in Kotkhai area of Shimla district in July last year. The Himachal Pradesh government had sought court intervention to handover the case to the CBI after a huge public outcry over the incident.

However, before the case was handed over to the central probe agency, one of the six accused arrested in the case, died inside Kotkhai police station.

The high court, thereafter, handed over the investigation of the case and the custodial death of the accused to the CBI.

The probe agency has so far arrested nine police personnel, including an Inspector General of Police who was heading the state investigation team, in the custodial death case. Eight of them were arrested on August 29 last year, while former Shimla SP, D W Negi was arrested on November 16.

The agency has filed a charge-sheet against the nine men.