Protests against Shimla minor's rape and murder spill over Himachal Pradesh streets

The incident also got a bizarre twist on Tuesday when a Nepalese labourer accused in the case was killed allegedly by another accused in the Kotkhai Police Station.

On Wednesday people took to the street in many places of the state, including Shimla and Gumma, around 50 km off the capital to vent their ire.

The father of the victim, who also has an elder daughter, addressed the gathering and said: "I thank each one of you — young, old, women and children, who have made this fight as their own battle to pressurise the government for ordering a CBI probe."

"I sincerely hope that CBI will do justice, start the investigations immediately and get the guilty punished. My only request is that guilty should not be spared and innocent should not be framed" he added.

Agitators, who were protesting against the administration for shielding the culprits, demanded a fast track CBI probe.

Balakram Chauhan, a retired IB officer, called the protest as completely non-political, though the Left Party members raised their slogans against the police. even after the crowd dispersed.

Chauhan said: "It’s a common cause as an innocent minor girl — our daughter — has lost her life at the hands of a few people, who resorted to the most shameful and barbaric act. We have no political agenda .Only goal is to build pressure on the government and also the investigating agency to make the probe time-bound."

The retired IB officer, who is the head of the Joint Action Committee fighting for justice, ensured that they will decide the next course of the protest after consulting the victim's family and urge CBI to provide justice within a week's time.

A special bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court will hear a PIL related to the case on Wednesday.

Following the killing, the entire staff of the Kotkhai Police Station has been shifted and a judicial enquiry into the custodial death has been recommended.

Additional police force has been rushed to Kotkhai to tackle the law and order situation as it is feared that the incident would add fuel to the public rage over the rape incident.

The Class X student was raped and murdered at the Kotkhai area of Shimla district on July four after she took a lift in a vehicle driven by one of the accused,

The body of the victim was recovered from the nearby Halila forest two days later. Six persons were arrested in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, Rajendr alias Raju, one of the accused in the case on Tuesday night,

Police said Suraj Singh, one of the accused in the case, was allegedly killed by a co-accused,  Rajender,  alias is Raju, inside the jail.

Police said Raju had heated exchanges with Suraj which resulted in a scuffle. Raju then allegedly banged Suraj's head against a wall and he died.

Image: File picture of Shimla City