SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh has Accused CBI of failing to solve the Kotkhai gang-rape and murder case. He said that so far whatever arrests have been made by the central investigating agency is in connection with the Custodial Death case while not even a single arrest has been made in gang-rape and murder case.

Virbhadra Singh said this while interacting with media persons at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla on Friday.

CBI on Thursday had arrested former Shimla, SP, D W Negi . CBI already has arrested the members of Special Investigation Team (SIT) of state police that probed the Kotkhai Gangrape and murder case and had arrested the six accused of which one was killed inside the police lockup. CBI has not ruled out the possibility of more arrests in custodial death case.

On July 6 this year, naked body of a minor school girl was recovered from the forest area of Kotkhai in Shimla district. State government had formed a SIT headed by IGP, Zahur H Zaidi that claimed to solve the case with the arrest of six accused.

As soon as SIT showed the arrests, people came out on the roads alleging botched up investigation. Protest demonstrations were held in Kotkhai area as people started demanding CBI probe. Angry people were alleging that real accused are being shielded by police as those arrested were not the real accused.

Public outburst intensified after one of the accused Suraj Singh was killed inside the police lockup on the night of July 18. While police claimed that main accused Raju had killed Suraj Singh people rubbished the police claim and resorted to violent protest demonstration in Kotkhai.

On July 19, Himachal Pradesh high court directed to hand over both the cases- Kotkhai gangrape and murder and custodial death case to CBI. All five accused arrested in gangrape and murder case by SIT been granted bail by court as CBI could not produce challan against then in the court.

While in custodial death case, CBI so far has arrested nine police officials.