People’s stir against delayed justice

Rakesh Lohumi from Shimla

The Gudia stir The national outrage over the rape and brutal murder of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad and the violent end of four alleged rapists in police encounter has brought the sensational Gudia rape and murder case in Himachal into sharp focus.The minor girl was waylaidwhile returning from school, raped, tortured and brutally murdered in a similar way in Kotkhai area of Shimla district in July 2017.
The Gudiya Nyaya Manch and the parents of the victim have demanded a fresh probe into the case alleging that the CBI has botched up the investigations as a result of which the real culprits are still at large.The parents met Chief Minister Jairam Thakur along with members of the Manch and demanded a judicial probe into the case in view of the report of the forensic science laboratory, Gandhi Nagar, that the crime could have been committed by more than one person. They said that the testimony of the two forensic experts, Dr HV Acharya and Hemangi Shah, before the CBI court at Chandigarh has vindicated their view that more than one person was involved in the crime.

The forensic report has indeed put the investigations carried out by the CBI team under scanner. The apex investigation agency of the country had come to the conclusion that it was gang rape and only one person was involved. It arrested a “chirani” (woodcutter) Anil Kumar, alias Nilu (25), for the crime and claimed to have solved the case employing advanced DNA profiling techniques, “lineage match” and “percentage match”,to establish the identity of the accused. However, the Manch was not impressed and had expressed serious doubts over the CBI investigations.

“We have been repeatedly pointing out right from the beginning that the investigation was not progressing in the right direction and that efforts were being made to save the real culprits and that Anil Kumar was made a scapegoat,” the parents alleged.

They maintained that their daughter was quite strong enough and she could not have been overpowered by one person. Now that the forensic experts have also stated that “as per their observation more than one person was involved in the crime”, only a judicial probe can help expose the real culprits who, it appeared, were being shielded.

They also apprehended that the culprits might have been under the influence of drugs as no sane person could indulge in such dastardly act. These were the reasons due to which they were not satisfied with the investigations from the very outset and suspected the involvement some influential persons.

They alleged that their daughter was not getting justice because she was from a poor family.It would have been a different story if the victim had been a daughter of a minister or senior officer, the case would have been pursued in the right earnest and justice done. Only a fresh probe can clear the mist and restore faith of the people in the system.

Youngsters ‘ march in Kotkhai A former Deputy Advocate General Vinay Sharma has even accused the CBI of with-holding the forensic report from court and not taking action on its basis. The CBI released the five main accused persons arrested by the state police and under pressure from the court arrested a wood cutter.CBI must explain why the accused arrested on the basis of location were released?, he asked.
The decision of the government to reinstate the police officials involved in the custodial death of an accused in the Gudiya case, Suraj has also not gone down well. A former minister Vijay Mankotia, wondered why the government was in such haste to reinstate the officials. The Gudiya rape case was similar to the Hyderabad rape and murder case, the poor minor girl was violated and murdered in the most brutal manner.While there as an outrage over rape and killing of the Hyderabad veterinary doctor and the Unnao rape victim, the Himachal government had chosen to reinstate the police officials.

The Congress raised the issue during winter session of the Vidhan Sabha and expressed concern that the Gudiya rape case was still unresolved and the culprits were yet to be brought to book. The party objected to the reinstatement of the officers accused in the Gudiya custodial death case. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur maintained that the officers had been reinstated as per rules and a departmental inquiry had been initiated against them.

The protest in Shimla The abduction, rape and murder of the class X student while she was returning from school on July 4, 2017 had sent shockwaves in the hill state and triggered of prolonged protests.Her body was found two days after she went missing from forest near her home at Kotkhai tehsil’s Halaila village. It bore bite marks and multiple injuries indicating she was tortured and raped before being smothered to death.
The government constituted a state investigation team, headed by inspector general of police Zahur Zaidi, which claimed to have solved the case with the arrest of six persons, including Suraj, who died in custody on the intervening night of July 18 and 19. Intriguingly, none of the four nonHimachalis accused fled after allegedly committing the crime.This created doubts about the police investigation and infuriated the people, who alleged that the six accused were framed to shield the rich and influential people. The situation turned tense as mob burnt police vans and blocked highways.

The Congress raised the issue during winter session of the Vidhan Sabha and expressed concern that Gudiya rape case was still unresolved and the culprits were yet to be brought to book. The party objected to the reinstatement of the officers accused in the Gudiya custodial death case. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur maintained that the officers had been reinstated as per rules and a departmental inquiry had been initiated against them.

With the Vidhan Sabha elections drawing close Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh lost no time in handing over the case to the CBI to contain the political fallout. The case has come back to haunt the ruling BJP, which exploited it to the hilt during the run up to the December 2017 assembly polls while in opposition. The party had led public protests against the Congress regime and accused it of mishandling the case. However, he BJP has completed two years in office but the real culprits are still at large.



		EDITOR'S MAIL EDITOR'S COMMENT CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT ACT CITIZENSHIP ACT HYDERABAD ENCOUNTER REALPOLITIK BJP’S JHARKHAND LOSS GUDIA CASE FRANKLY SPEAKING COMMUNIST PARTIES POLITICS IN KARNATAKA PAGE FROM HISTORY MP CM’S ONE YEAR AKALI POLITICS CHANDIGARH DIARY DEATH SENTENCE FOR EX-GENERAL HITS & MISSES BOOK BAZAAR IRONIES OF HISTORY SIGNS OF THE TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION BUILDING LEADERSHIP GLOBAL BRANDS Issue:Jan' 2020 Subscribe Now	GUDIA CASE People’s stir against delayed justice Rakesh Lohumi from Shimla The Gudia stir The national outrage over the rape and brutal murder of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad and the violent end of four alleged rapists in police encounter has brought the sensational Gudia rape and murder case in Himachal into sharp focus.The minor girl was waylaidwhile returning from school, raped, tortured and brutally murdered in a similar way in Kotkhai area of Shimla district in July 2017. The Gudiya Nyaya Manch and the parents of the victim have demanded a fresh probe into the case alleging that the CBI has botched up the investigations as a result of which the real culprits are still at large.The parents met Chief Minister Jairam Thakur along with members of the Manch and demanded a judicial probe into the case in view of the report of the forensic science laboratory, Gandhi Nagar, that the crime could have been committed by more than one person. They said that the testimony of the two forensic experts, Dr HV Acharya and Hemangi Shah, before the CBI court at Chandigarh has vindicated their view that more than one person was involved in the crime. The forensic report has indeed put the investigations carried out by the CBI team under scanner. The apex investigation agency of the country had come to the conclusion that it was gang rape and only one person was involved. It arrested a “chirani” (woodcutter) Anil Kumar, alias Nilu (25), for the crime and claimed to have solved the case employing advanced DNA profiling techniques, “lineage match” and “percentage match”,to establish the identity of the accused. However, the Manch was not impressed and had expressed serious doubts over the CBI investigations. “We have been repeatedly pointing out right from the beginning that the investigation was not progressing in the right direction and that efforts were being made to save the real culprits and that Anil Kumar was made a scapegoat,” the parents alleged. They maintained that their daughter was quite strong enough and she could not have been overpowered by one person. Now that the forensic experts have also stated that “as per their observation more than one person was involved in the crime”, only a judicial probe can help expose the real culprits who, it appeared, were being shielded. They also apprehended that the culprits might have been under the influence of drugs as no sane person could indulge in such dastardly act. These were the reasons due to which they were not satisfied with the investigations from the very outset and suspected the involvement some influential persons. They alleged that their daughter was not getting justice because she was from a poor family.It would have been a different story if the victim had been a daughter of a minister or senior officer, the case would have been pursued in the right earnest and justice done. Only a fresh probe can clear the mist and restore faith of the people in the system. Youngsters ‘ march in Kotkhai A former Deputy Advocate General Vinay Sharma has even accused the CBI of with-holding the forensic report from court and not taking action on its basis. The CBI released the five main accused persons arrested by the state police and under pressure from the court arrested a wood cutter.CBI must explain why the accused arrested on the basis of location were released?, he asked. The decision of the government to reinstate the police officials involved in the custodial death of an accused in the Gudiya case, Suraj has also not gone down well. A former minister Vijay Mankotia, wondered why the government was in such haste to reinstate the officials. The Gudiya rape case was similar to the Hyderabad rape and murder case, the poor minor girl was violated and murdered in the most brutal manner.While there as an outrage over rape and killing of the Hyderabad veterinary doctor and the Unnao rape victim, the Himachal government had chosen to reinstate the police officials. The Congress raised the issue during winter session of the Vidhan Sabha and expressed concern that the Gudiya rape case was still unresolved and the culprits were yet to be brought to book. The party objected to the reinstatement of the officers accused in the Gudiya custodial death case. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur maintained that the officers had been reinstated as per rules and a departmental inquiry had been initiated against them. The protest in Shimla The abduction, rape and murder of the class X student while she was returning from school on July 4, 2017 had sent shockwaves in the hill state and triggered of prolonged protests.Her body was found two days after she went missing from forest near her home at Kotkhai tehsil’s Halaila village. It bore bite marks and multiple injuries indicating she was tortured and raped before being smothered to death. The government constituted a state investigation team, headed by inspector general of police Zahur Zaidi, which claimed to have solved the case with the arrest of six persons, including Suraj, who died in custody on the intervening night of July 18 and 19. Intriguingly, none of the four nonHimachalis accused fled after allegedly committing the crime.This created doubts about the police investigation and infuriated the people, who alleged that the six accused were framed to shield the rich and influential people. The situation turned tense as mob burnt police vans and blocked highways. The Congress raised the issue during winter session of the Vidhan Sabha and expressed concern that Gudiya rape case was still unresolved and the culprits were yet to be brought to book. The party objected to the reinstatement of the officers accused in the Gudiya custodial death case. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur maintained that the officers had been reinstated as per rules and a departmental inquiry had been initiated against them. With the Vidhan Sabha elections drawing close Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh lost no time in handing over the case to the CBI to contain the political fallout. The case has come back to haunt the ruling BJP, which exploited it to the hilt during the run up to the December 2017 assembly polls while in opposition. The party had led public protests against the Congress regime and accused it of mishandling the case. However, he BJP has completed two years in office but the real culprits are still at large.