The Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended the life imprisonment of former Himachal Pradesh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zahur Haider Zaidi in the 2017 custodial death case. Zaidi and seven other cops received life sentences from a special CBI court in Chandigarh in January 2025. The case involves Suraj, who died in Kotkhai police custody on July 18, 2017. A 16-year-old girl was missing since July 4, 2017, in Kotkhai. Her body was found in Halaila forests two days later. The post-mortem confirmed rape and murder. Zaidi led a special investigation team (SIT) which arrested six accused, including Suraj. On Tuesday, December 24, 2025, Justices Anoop Chitkara and Sukhvinder Kaur ordered Zaidi's release on furnishing a ₹25,000 bail bond. The court cited a lack of motive and his long incarceration of over five years. Zaidi said he was on approved leave performing rituals for his late father and was not present when Suraj died. The court said, "It appears that injuries indicate usual brutal police methods. However, Zaidi was not in the police station at the time. He cannot be held responsible. There was no motive for him to cause Suraj's death." The court also noted doubts about the CBI's claim of scientific evidence during Zaidi's press conference following the arrests. It clarified these observations were only for deciding the suspension and not for the final appeal. After Suraj's death, the Himachal Pradesh government handed over the case to the CBI. The agency charged Zaidi and others with criminal conspiracy, murder, fabricating evidence, destroying evidence, torture to get confessions, and preparing false records.