Deepali Kalia –
The Court of Special Judge under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), Shimla on June 18th sentenced convict, Anil Kumar alias Neelu Charani in Kotkhai rape and murder case to life imprisonment till the end of his natural life and imposed a fine of Rs. 10,000.
The case involved rape and murder of a minor girl in class 10th who had gone missing on July 4, 2017 and her naked body was recovered two days later from Dandhi forest area of Kotkhai.
The case had led to massive public demonstrations across the State.
The Court of Special Judge, Shimla Rajeev Bhardwaj stated that Himachal, the land of gods and goddesses was shamed on July 4, 2017 and “It was indeed a bolt from the blue for this pious state and everybody was in jittery.”
The conscience of common man was shaken by the horrific deed and the aim of Mahatma Gandhi who had said “The day a woman can walk freely on the roads at night, that day we can say that India has achieved independence.”, regarding achieving women safety seemed at present a distant dream, the Court remarked.
Shimla police had initially started investigating the case but following violent protests in July 2017 after the custodial death of an arrested suspect, the State High Court had transferred the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) who had registered the case on July 22, 2017.
Anil Kumar, a resident of Baijnath tehsil in Kangra district from a village near Hatkoti in Shimla, was arrested by CBI on April 13, 2018.After thorough investigation CBI had filed a charge sheet in the court of Special Judge (POCSO), Shimla, against him.
Kumar’s involvement in the case was established through DNA profiling and other evidences.