3 min readShimlaJan 18, 2025 06:48 PM IST
First published on: Jan 18, 2025 at 05:53 PM IST
The Special CBI Court in Chandigarh on Saturday convicted eight individuals, including Inspector General of Police Zahur Haider Zaidi, in connection with the custodial death of a suspect in the 2017 Kotkhai minor girl rape and murder case in Shimla. The convicted individuals were taken into custody by the CBI.
Special CBI Judge Alka Malik, Additional District and Sessions Judge, convicted eight out of the nine accused. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on January 27.
Those convicted include IGP Zahur Haider Zaidi, former Kotkhai Station House Officer Manoj Joshi, and police officials Rajinder Singh, Deep Chand Sharma, Mohan Lal, Surat Singh, Rafee Mohammad, and Ranjeet Steta, all from the Himachal Pradesh Police. The court acquitted Dandub Wangial Negi, the then Superintendent of Police.
According to the case details, a minor girl went missing after school hours on July 4, 2017. While on her way home, she was allegedly raped and murdered. Her body was discovered in the Halaila forests near Mahasu at around 7.40 am on July 6, 2017. An FIR was registered under Sections 302 and 376 of the IPC and Section 4 of the POCSO Act at the Kotkhai Police Station, Shimla district, against unidentified persons. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed in the case arrested Suraj Singh and four others on July 13, 2017.
The CBI alleged that a team of police officers investigating the case tortured Suraj in custody between July 13, 2017, and the night of July 18–19, 2017, to extract a confession, causing fatal injuries.
A medical board concluded that the injuries were inflicted by a blunt, hard cylindrical object, such as a lathi, rod, or baton. However, Shimla police had claimed that Suraj was killed during a scuffle with another accused in police lockup.
The Supreme Court later transferred the case to the CBI court in Chandigarh.
Who is Zahur Haider Zaidi?
Zahur Haider Zaidi, a 1994-batch IPS officer of Himachal Pradesh, was serving as IG Communication in Himachal Pradesh at the time of his conviction.
Zaidi received the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Services in 2010. During his career, he served in various districts, including Kullu, Kangra, Mandi, and Solan.
He is also the author of a book titled Cop at Large and scripted and produced a documentary film, Aap aur Hum, aimed at promoting human rights awareness among school students.
Zaidi, a 1994 batch of Himachal Pradesh, was currently posted as IG Communication in Himachal Pradesh. (Zaidi, in the middle, File Photo) 
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