Kotkhai custodial death case: Five accused withdraw bail applications

Five persons accused in the Kotkhai custodial death case on Monday withdrew their bail applications.

The custodial killing case is an offshoot of the rape and murder case of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Kotkhai area of Shimla district. Six men were initially arrested by the Himachal police in the case, and one of them was later found dead at the Kotkhai police station.

The interim bail applications had been filed by the five accused on March 30. A month later, the case came up for hearing in a special CBI court, wherein a notice was issued to CBI.

The five undertrial prisoners who had filed the pleas are former Kotkhai station house officer (SHO) Rajinder Singh, the investigating officer in the rape and murder case, head constables Surat Singh, Mohan Lal and Rafiq Ali, and constable Ranjit Streta. They all are lodged in Model Jail, Chandigarh.

Ranjeet had stated in his bail application that his elderly parents were alone at home and needed him during the pandemic situation. Mohan Lal had quoted that his wife was suffering from fibrosis and there was no one to look after her, so, he should be granted bail. Similar pleas has been filed by others.

However, during the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, the five accused, who appeared via video conferencing from the jail, withdrew their bail applications.

On Saturday, the CBI court had dismissed the interim bail application moved by suspended IGP Zahur Zaidi, who is an accused in the same case.