Judicial custody of nine police officials extended in Gudiya rape case

Shimla, Nov 23: In Gudiya rape and murder case, Chief Judicial Magistrate Court here on Thursday extended judicial custody of nine arrested officers of Himachal Pradesh police as they were produced in the court after two days of judicial lock- up.

Nine police officers, including IG south range ZH Zaidi, SP DW Negi and DSP Manoj Joshi would be produced in the CJM court of Rajneet Singh. The court decided to extend their judicial custody till November 25. Mr Zadi, Mr Negi, Mr Joshi, SHO Rajinder Singh, ASI Deep Chand, Head constable Surat Singh, Mohan Lal, Rafik Ali and Constables Ranjeet were in judicial custody on the charge of murdering an alleged accused Suraj in the Gudiya rape case. Mr Negi was taken in police lockup for five days on November 16. The other eight were arrested on August 28 and now in judicial lockup. The CBI is probing the case of Gudiya rape and murder case and the agency is yet to arrest the real culprit in the main case. The CBI is likely to file charge sheet before November 30 against nine police officers who were arrested for murder of Suraj, the accused in Gudiya case who was killed during police remand at Kotkhai police station on July 18. The role of nine police officers came under the CBI as one of duty police officers and 'santry' disclosed that he was not killed by the alleged co accused of Gudiya rape-murder case Rajinder alias Raju as police booked him on July 19 for the incident. Mr Zaidi who was head of police SIT and former SP Shimla Negi were also being probed for covering up the case as forged FIR was registered on the behest of Negi. The CJM court hearing the CBI plea, will take the voice samples of eight SIT members court and had fixed November 25 as the next date to consider their plea. Counsels for the SIT members did not appear before the court, alleging that they were barred by district bar association from appearing in the case and they would appear in the court after getting no objection certificates from the district bar. The body of minor girl who studied in 10th standard in Kotkahi government school, was recovered from a forest on July 6 this year. She was reportedly kidnapped by the accused on July 4 when she was returning from school. Later, state police confirmed that she was gang rapped and murdered by accused who were away from the police reach so far. State police constituted SIT to probe the crime and booked six people, including deceased Suraj, as most of them belonged to Nepal and Uttarakhand. The CBI probe against the eight police accused did not find their involvement in the crime and after 90 days of judicial remand, they were released on bail. UNI