The CBI court in Chandigarh on Monday sentenced eight police officers, including former IG Zahoor Haider Zaidi, to life imprisonment in the custodial death of Suraj, one of the accused in the 2017 Gudiya rape and murder case in Himachal Pradesh. Each convict has also been fined ₹1 lakh. This historic verdict marks the first time an SIT investigating a case in Himachal Pradesh has faced such severe punishment.

The case originated on July 4, 2017, when a 16-year-old girl, referred to as Gudiya, went missing in Kotkhai, Shimla. Her body was discovered two days later in the Dandi forest, with initial investigations pointing to rape and murder. An SIT led by IG Zahoor Haider Zaidi was formed, which arrested seven suspects, including Nepali laborer Suraj. However, on July 18, 2017, Suraj died in custody at the Kotkhai police station under suspicious circumstances. The police initially claimed that Suraj was killed by another accused, but public outrage over the incident led to protests, with the Kotkhai police station being set on fire.

The Himachal Pradesh government handed the case to the CBI, which revealed that Suraj had been tortured to death by police officers after refusing to confess to the crime. Key evidence included testimony from Kotkhai police station sentry Dinesh and a recording found on DSP Manoj Joshi’s phone, which exposed the brutal interrogation methods.

The CBI presented 52 witnesses and substantial evidence, including the recording, which revealed the brutal interrogation methods employed by the SIT. The court convicted Zaidi, DSP Joshi, and six other police personnel, charging them under multiple sections, including 302 (murder), 330 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code.

Timeline of Key Events

  • July 4, 2017: Gudiya goes missing; her body is found on July 6.
  • July 10, 2017: SIT formed under Zaidi’s leadership.
  • July 18, 2017: Suraj dies in custody; public outrage ensues.
  • July 22, 2017: CBI registers cases in both Gudiya’s murder and Suraj’s custodial death.
  • August 29, 2017: CBI arrests Zaidi and other officers.
  • June 18, 2021: Anil Kumar alias Neelu was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for Gudiya’s rape and murder.
  • January 18, 2025: CBI court convicts Zaidi and seven others in Suraj’s murder case.
  • January 27, 2025: Life imprisonment sentences pronounced for all eight convicts.

This verdict has brought attention to systemic flaws in law enforcement and highlighted the misuse of power by police officers. The custodial death of Suraj not only delayed justice for Gudiya but also underscored the need for greater accountability in custodial investigations.

In the related Gudiya rape and murder case, Anil Kumar alias Neelu was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021. While this conviction brought some closure, the revelations of custodial violence and the subsequent legal battle in Suraj’s case have exposed deep-rooted issues within the system.