# CBI vs Himachal Pradesh Police Inspector General of Police and others

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/trial-court/t2-08-001](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/trial-court/t2-08-001)
Record JSON: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/data/case/t2-08-001.json](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/data/case/t2-08-001.json)

Trial-court conviction (Special CBI Court, Chandigarh (Special Judge Alka Malik); CBI Court). Convicted 18 January 2025. Appeal status: Appeal pending.

## Summary

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.

## Report card

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.
- Source orders: [Judgment / order (primary source)](https://www.latestly.com/agency-news/india-news-cbi-court-sentences-himachal-igp-seven-other-cops-to-life-imprisonment-in-custodial-death-case-6597174.html); [Appellate judgment](https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/3740610-suspended-sentences-raise-questions-in-custodial-death-case); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/trial-court/t2-08-001)

## At a glance

- Category: Violence & unlawful detention
- Sub-category: custodial death
- Location: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
- Officers: 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
- Sentence: Life imprisonment + Rs 1,00,000 fine each (sentenced 27 January 2025); co-accused SP D.W. Negi acquitted
- Verification: V1 · Trial court