CBI vs Himachal Pradesh Police Inspector General of Police and others
The Special CBI Court at Chandigarh convicted eight Himachal Pradesh police personnel, headed by then-IG [name withheld], for the custodial torture and murder of [name withheld], an accused in the 2017 Kotkhai Gudiya rape-murder case. The court found [name withheld] died of custodial beatings (20+ injury marks) and that officers fabricated evidence blaming a co-accused. All eight were sentenced to life imprisonment with Rs 1 lakh fine each on 27 January 2025; SP D.W. Negi was acquitted for lack of evidence. The Supreme Court transferred the trial from Shimla to the Chandigarh CBI court in 2019.
This page documents a trial-court conviction from the cited sources below. It is not a High Court or Supreme Court finding; the conviction may have been appealed. Findings are attributed to the convicting court; this record does not add findings of its own.
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By judgment dated 18 January 2025, the Special CBI Court, Chandigarh (Special Judge Alka Malik) convicted 8 police personnel, namely: Inspector General of Police, Himachal Pradesh Police (SIT chief, Kotkhai case); Deputy Superintendent of Police, Theog, Shimla; Sub-Inspector, Himachal Pradesh Police; Assistant Sub-Inspector, Himachal Pradesh Police; Honorary Head Constable, Himachal Pradesh Police; Honorary Head Constable, Himachal Pradesh Police; Head Constable, Himachal Pradesh Police; Constable, Himachal Pradesh Police.
- Register number
- HP 03 CW 0005
- Case reference
- CBI v. [name withheld] and others (Suraj custodial death, Kotkhai/Gudiya case 2017)
- Court and date
- The Special CBI Court, Chandigarh (Special Judge Alka Malik), 18 January 2025
- Officer(s) at the material time
- Inspector General of Police, Himachal Pradesh Police (SIT chief, Kotkhai case); Deputy Superintendent of Police, Theog, Shimla; Sub-Inspector, Himachal Pradesh Police; Assistant Sub-Inspector, Himachal Pradesh Police; Honorary Head Constable, Himachal Pradesh Police; Honorary Head Constable, Himachal Pradesh Police; Head Constable, Himachal Pradesh Police; Constable, Himachal Pradesh Police
- Present service status
- Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked
- Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 330 (torture to extract confession) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 348 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 218 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 195, 196 (fabrication of false evidence) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Facts in brief
- The Special CBI Court at Chandigarh convicted eight Himachal Pradesh police personnel, headed by then-IG [name withheld], for the custodial torture and murder of [name withheld], an accused in the 2017 Kotkhai Gudiya rape-murder case. The court found [name withheld] died of custodial beatings (20+ injury marks) and that officers fabricated evidence blaming a co-accused. All eight were sentenced to life imprisonment with Rs 1 lakh fine each on 27 January 2025; SP D.W. Negi was acquitted for lack of evidence. The Supreme Court transferred the trial from Shimla to the Chandigarh CBI court in 2019.
- Verdict, sentence and quantum
- Conviction recorded by the trial court. Sentence: Life imprisonment + Rs 1,00,000 fine each (sentenced 27 January 2025); co-accused SP D.W. Negi acquitted
- Present status of the proceedings
- An appeal is pending; the pendency of an appeal is not a finding.
Compiled from the judgment and the cited sources. Findings are those of the court; this card adds none of its own.
Special CBI Court, Chandigarh (Special Judge Alka Malik) convicted the accused police personnel on 18 January 2025. An appeal is pending; initiation or pendency of an appeal is not a finding.
Sentence & charges
Sentence: Life imprisonment + Rs 1,00,000 fine each (sentenced 27 January 2025); co-accused SP D.W. Negi acquitted
Sections: IPC 302 (murder); IPC 330 (torture to extract confession); IPC 348; IPC 218; IPC 195, 196 (fabrication of false evidence); IPC 201 (destruction of evidence); IPC 120B (criminal conspiracy)
Appeal status
Appeal pending. Appeal text