In a twist to the sensational gang-rape and murder of a schoolgirl in Himachal Pradesh, the prime suspect allegedly murdered a fellow accused in the case in the police lock-up yesterday.
Rajinder Singh allegedly killed Nepali Surat Singh by smashing his head on the floor, a police official said. The reason for Rajinder killing Surat is yet to be ascertained, the officer added.
“Both the accused had a scuffle over some issue and Surat was seriously injured. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead,” the officer said.
As the incident within the Kotkhai police lock-up, around 54km from the state capital, came to light, a large number of locals gathered and forcibly entered the police station, assaulting police personnel for their lapses which resulted in the death of one of the six accused in the girl’s gang-rape and murder.
The mob ransacked the police station and didn’t allow the critically injured policemen to be taken to hospital for treatment. Massive protests have continued in Shimla ever since the schoolgirl’s murder.
The girl’s family suspect that the “real culprits”, who they claim belong to high-profile families, have gotten away scot-free.
Last week, the state government agreed to recommend a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the case.
“Earlier, we were told that the accused belonged to high-profile families and were on the run,” the girl’s eldest sister told reporters in Kotkhai town.
“Then suddenly, the police arrested six people, four of whom were labourers - two from Uttarakhand and two from Nepal,” she said.
“We demand justice for our sister. Our protests will continue till the real culprits are apprehended,” she added.
The police claim the 16-year-old girl was offered a ride in a vehicle driven by the accused on July 4 when she was returning home from school. On the way, she was raped and murdered in a nearby forest. Her body was found two days later.
Those arrested in the case are prime accused Rajinder Singh, who offered to drop the victim home, Ashish Chauhan, Subhash Bisht, Deepak Kumar, Surat Singh and Lokjan.
The police say the prime accused was known to the victim as he had earlier too dropped her home in his vehicle.
Meanwhile, the victim’s father questioned the delay in handing over the case to the CBI.
“We were told the case has been handed over to the CBI. But no CBI official has so far started investigation in the case,” he said.


A mob sets fire to a police station in Kotkhai, around 62km from Shimla, yesterday.