Shimla: The public anger has surged as the special investigating team (SIT) has failed to make much headway. It rounded up four suspects yesterday from Mahasu in connection with the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year school girl yesterday but have not arrested them.

Shimla: The public anger has surged as the special investigating team (SIT) has failed to make much headway. It rounded up four suspects yesterday from Mahasu in connection with the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year schoolgirl yesterday but have not arrested them.

The police are tightlipped saying that the questioning is on. The Chief Minister tweeted yesterday that SIT had made progress in the case, detaining some suspects.

The public anger is increasing due to the police failure to arrest the culprits even after 8 days. The student outfits SFI, ABVP, NSUI, women’s organisations, mahila mandals and schoolchildren continue to stage protests in Theog, Guma, Kotkhai, Rohru, Rampur and other places.

The local girl students today held a peaceful protest by lighting candles on The Ridge. They prayed for the victim. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of 26 gram panchayats of Kotkhai has decided to stage a massive protest at Gumma on July 18 if the police fail to nab culprits. “We back the protest call,” asserted BR Chauhan, JAC convener.

According to sources, the police investigation also rests on the DNA analysis of the forensic evidence gathered from the spot where the victim’s body was recovered. “The police are also awaiting report and analyzing the call details.

While the mobile phone of the IG, southern range, Zahur Zaidi, who has been camping at Kotkhai to supervise the SIT investigation has remained out of reach, DGP Somesh Goyal said he could get in touch with the SIT team.