In the midst of unprecedented public protests, the alleged mess-up in the sensitive ‘Gudia’ rape and murder case in Kotkhai in Shimla district has taken political overtones, especially as assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh are around the corner.

While the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe will finally clear the air on the case that led to unprecedented public outrage with people directly accusing the state Police of a ‘cover-up’ to save some influential people, Congress Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh is facing political attack over the controversy not only from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but from his detractors in Congress.

Gudia, a 16 year old girl from Kotkhai area, had gone missing on 4 July after school hours.

Her body was found in the woods on 6 July and her autopsy report had revealed that she was gangraped and later strangulated to death.

The issue snowballed into a major controversy in the wake of angry protests by people in Shimla district against alleged ‘unfair Police investigation’ into the case followed by killing of an accused (a Nepalese) allegedly by another accused in Police lock-up in Kotkhai.

The two cases were later handed over to CBI for probe under public pressure, with the government moving the Court for directions to CBI.

“The heinous crime with a Class X girl has brought a bad name for the state. The carelessness in probe by the state Police has exposed the state government,” said Prem Kumar Dhumal, former BJP CM and leader of opposition in HP.

Dhumal, who visited the victim girls’ home in Kotkhai area on Monday along with other BJP leaders, sought the resignation of CM on moral grounds by 26 July, or BJP would resort to dharnas and protests at all 7,479 polling booths in the state under the leadership of women. In Congress, however, State Congress Chief, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had alleged carelessness by state Police in the probe, while going with the public sentiment. He had even talked about submitting a report to the party high command on this, then.

Now some other leaders in Congress have reportedly approached Congress high command over the mishandling of the sensitive issue by the government, directly targeting Virbhadra Singh.

Sources said these are the same leaders, who have been gunning for Virbhadra Singh right from the beginning of this tenure over corruption allegations against him, but in vain, with the high command not responding against Singh. Sources said they now find it an opportune time to convince the party high command ahead of polls on the ‘governance failure’ in HP, clubbing this issue with some other matters where the government faced flak over past four and a half years. “Its an internal matter of Congress party. I am going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet the newly appointed Congress in charge for HP, senior leader Sushil Shinde and will discuss the matter,” PCC Chief, Sukhu told The Statesman.