A special CBI court in Chandigarh has convicted eight individuals, including former Himachal Pradesh Inspector General (IG) Zahoor Zaidi, in connection with the 2017 Shimla Gudiya rape and murder case. The case also involved allegations of police misconduct, including the controversial death of an accused in police custody.
The incident occurred on July 4, 2017, when a 16-year-old girl went missing from the Kotkhai area in Himachal Pradesh. Her body was discovered two days later in the Halela forests, and a post-mortem confirmed that she had been raped. The case sparked widespread outrage, and a detailed investigation was launched.
In the verdict pronounced by the Chandigarh CBI Special Court, IG Zahoor Zaidi was convicted alongside seven other individuals including Manoj Joshi, Rajinder Singh, Deep Chand Sharma, Mohan Lal, Surat Singh, Rafi Mohammad, and Ranjit Stata.
They were found guilty of various charges related to the mishandling of the case and their involvement in the death of a key accused in police custody. However, Dandab Wangel Negi, a former officer implicated in the case, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking him to the charges.
The court has scheduled the sentencing of all convicted individuals for January 27, 2025. The case has drawn significant attention due to the involvement of senior police officers.