Himachal’s Pain & Anguish

By: Jul 22nd, 2017 12:30 am

Himachal This Week Team (cover story)

Himachal This WeekPeople feel pain and anguish after the brutal rape and murder of a 16-years-old school girl in Kotkhai area of Shimla district in Himachal. Even as the SIT claimed to have solved the case with the arrest of six persons, the mystery shrouding the case is deepening with every passing day. As a result, people held demonstrations in Kotkhai and Shimla, seeking justice for the victim. The state government handed over the case to the CBI as people were not happy with the working of the state police in the case. What added fuel to the entire incident was murder of an accused by another co-accused while they were lodged in Kotkhai police station lockup. People are agitating allegedly against carelessness of the police and allege that there are many missing links in its theory. The opposition too has joined the bandwagon of holding demonstrations as they find it opportune time to target the state government on law and order situation ahead of upcoming state assembly elections. However, people feel that mystery should soon be solved to provide justice to the victim.

Unanswered Questions

* Help from forensic experts was not taken

* Houses of six accused were not searched

* Exact location of crime not determined

* Who posted and deleted pictures on CM’s facebook page

Himachal This Week

Lax Approach Since Beginning

Sunil Sharma

Himachal This WeekWhat has happened to Shimla police that lodged five accused in one lockup of Kotkhai police station? That too when there was public outcry in the entire area as people were demonstrating on roads. There have been allegations on the police for adopting lax approach because all accused could have been lodged in different police station in surrounding areas. Knowledgeable persons term it ‘murder in police custody’ rather than a ‘custodial death’.  There are also allegations that deceased Suraj Singh had many clues about the role of Rajinder Kumar, considered to be the key link in rape and murder mystery.

Accused Murdered In Kotkhai Jail

Himachal This WeekOne of the accused in rape and murder case Suraj Singh was murdered by another accused Rajinder Kumar alias Raju in Kotkhai police station lockup on the night intervening Tuesday and Wednesday. Raju allegedly hit Suraj on latter’s private part and later tried to strangulate him. As cops came to know about the incident, they took Raju to the hospital where he was declared ‘brought dead’.  As the news spread in the area, irate villagers adopted a violent posture against cops. They set police station on fire, pelted stones at cops besides damaging other records. Three police vehicles were also damaged even as cops resorted to lathi charge and three rounds of firing in air to disburse the mob.

Police Role Under Scanner

What were cops doing when the incident occurred in Kotkhai police station? The cops will have to answer many such questions as Suraj, during interrogation, had reportedly held Raju as the main culprit for rape and murder case.

Timeline…

* July 4:  School girl from Mhasu area in Kotkhai goes missing

* July 5: Family members search in forest area

* July 6: Body of girl recovered from forest, police investigations begin

* July 7: Post postmortem study confirms rape

* July 8: People resort to demonstrations

* July 9: Police questions many people

* July 10: The state government constitutes SIT

* July 11: Four youths detained for questioning

* July 12: High Court takes cognizance, one accused arrested

* July 13: Police claim to solve the case, DGP holds press conference to inform about the arrest of six persons

* July 14: Demonstration in Theog, police vehicles damaged, government orders a CBI probe

* July 15: Accused brought to Shimla for DNA test

* July 16: Demonstration across the state

* July 17: Police releases two other suspects after conducting their DNA test

* July 18: Demonstration in Theog, one accused murdered in police custody

* July 19: Demonstration in Kotkhai, police station set on fire, stones pelted at cops

* July 20: BJP calls for bandh, stone pelting at Secretariat in Shimla

Rape Cases Double In A Decade

Khushal Singh

NEWSThe recent gang rape case with a teenage girl in Kotkhai has completely exposed the law and order situation in Himachal Pradesh. Nirbhaya like gang rape has raised serious question in the society – Are women safe in Himachal? The figures indicate that the Dev Bhoomi is rapidly becoming unsafe for women. The eve teasing incidents have become common and rape incidents are putting a blot on the hill state.

The deteriorating law and order condition in Himachal could be well gauged from the fact that figure of rape incidents have almost doubled in last one decade. The state once known as the most peaceful land is slowly turning to be a criminals ground. Especially, crime against women has witnessed a sharp surge. A close look on the figures of crime against women reveals that 2039 rape cases were reported in different parts of Himachal in last 10 years. Figures disclose that 158 rape incidents were reported in Himachal in 2007. The situation was around about same in 2008 as 157 rape incidents reported in different parts of the state. The year 2009 witnessed a surge in such cases with 182 rape incidents reported in Himachal in entire year.

However, there was decline in rape incidents figure in 2010 with the number of such cases reducing to 160. Thereafter this figure has witnessed an inclining trend. The rape incidents figure increased to 168 in 2011 that further jumped to 183 in 2012. The year 2013 witnessed a dramatic surge in rape incidents with 250 rape incidents reported in the above mentioned period all across Himachal. 2014 was the worst year in this perspective in entire decade with the rape incidents figure (284) reaching to its maximum number. However this figure saw a downward trend in 2015 with 244 rape incidents reported all across Himachal in entire year. In 2016, 253 rape cases were reported in different police stations of the state. More than 40 rape incidents have been reported this year in Himachal.

Illegal Drug Trade Could Be The Reason

The inclining graph of crime against women have instilled a fear for safety among women in Himachal Pradesh. It seems this hilly state has started following the footprints of states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Experts feel that illegal drug business could be one of the biggest reason behind increasing graph of crime. Drugs from other states are reaching easily in Himachal and youths are committing serious crimes under the effect of these drugs.

* The CBI should begin investigations early to provide justice to my daughter as evidences can be destroyed

-Father of Kotkhai rape and murder victim

Virbhadra Singh* I am sincerely committed to bringing the criminals to book and want them to be hanged for the heinous crime they have committed. The matter is also being flared up and politicised by the BJP

-Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister

Prem Kumar Dhumal* All angles should be thoroughly probed, including exposing names of persons responsible for uploading and deleting pictures on Chief Minister’ facebook page

-Prem Kumar Dhumal, Leader of Opposition

Shanta Kumar* Himachal has not witnessed such a shameful situation of law and order. Behaviour of the government and police in Kotkhai incident is unfortunate

-Shanta Kumar, BJP MP

* The police have mishandled Kotkhai rape and murder mystery. It is carelessness as five accused were lodged in one lockup

-ID Bhandari, Former DGP

* The SIT should incorporate points raised by locals in investigations. People should also provide information to the police

-TR Mahajan, Former DGP


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