The HP High Court on Monday refused to entertain the bail plea of one of the accused in Gudia gangrape and murder case till the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) submits its status report.

The accused, Ashish Chauhan, who is presently in judicial custody had filed the bail plea in the High Court, contending that the investigations in the case are now over and he was presently in judicial custody.

Justice Sandeep Sharma questioned the hurry by the lawyer of the accused and ruled the hearing in the case could take place only after CBI submits its status report on 6 September. The court had posted the matter for hearing on 11 September.

Chauhan’s lawyer contended that CBI had booked him on 22 July after which he was questioned by the officials, however, there was no evidence which links him to the ghastly crime.

Two judges of the HC had already rescued themselves from hearing in the case by saying the case had already been expedited and monitored by the acting Chief Justice Sanjay Karol.

Ashish Chauhan along with five other accused, Rajender Singh alias Raju, Subhash Singh Bisht (42), Lokjan alias Chhotu (19), Suraj (29) and Deepak (38) were arrested by the Police on 13 July for the murder and gangrape of 16-year-old girl in Kotkhai area of Shimla district. One of the accused, Suraj was allegedly killed in police custody on 19 July by co-accused Rajender.

Gudia had gone missing on 4 July while she was returning home from school and her body was found two days later in the forest.

Police had claimed that she was offered a lift by the alleged main accused Rajender alias Raju, who, along with four other associates took her to a secluded place where they allegedly gangraped her and later smothered her to death.

However, amid public outrage alleging shoddy investigations in the gangrape and murder case, the case was referred to CBI for investigations by the HC. The CBI had questioned several suspects in the case, but it failed to make any headway in the case so far and the officials had sought 3 months time for completing the investigations. The request, however, was rejected by the HC and the CBI was asked to complete the investigations as soon as possible.