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| SIT constituted to probe Shopian ‘rape-cum-murder’ | | Exhumation for DNA testing likely as FSL fails to find cause of death | | 4 injured in firing on 8th day of shutdown in Valley
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, Jun 8: Raising more questions than solving, medical reports prepared by two separate teams of doctors and forensic science experts on the ‘death in suspicious circumstances’ of two young women in Shopian last fortnight have failed to ascertain the cause of death even as FSL has confirmed presence of human spermatozoa on the exhibits collected from dead bodies of both the females. Exhumation of the dead bodies for conducting DNA testing is believed to be done in a few days after seeking necessary permission from District Magistrate. Director General of Police (DGP) has, meanwhile, constituted a Special Investigating Team for conducting Police investigation in the matter that would run parallel to the proceedings of one-man Commission of Inquiry, headed by retired judge of Jammu & Kashmir High Court, Muzaffar Jan.
Informed sources revealed to Early Times that DGP Kuldeep Khoda today constituted a SIT for conducting and completing the Police investigation into the matter of alleged rape-cum-murder of two young women in Shopian during the night intervening May 29th and 30th. As already reported, dead bodies of 25-year-old Neelofar Jan W/o Shakeel Ahmed Ahangar and 17-year-old Aasiya D/o late Abdul Gani Ahangar R/o Bongam, Shopian, had been recovered from Rambiara Nallah on May 30th hours after they had left for their orchard for a routine chore.
Police have registered case FIR No:112 of 2009 under section 376 RPC (rape) on Sunday after completing an inquest under orders of an executive magistrate under section 174 Cr PC. The medical report prepared by doctors after getting the FSL report has established possibility of sexual intercourse but has not ascertained specific cause of death. According to it, “probable cause” of Neelofar’s death “may be neurogenic shock” and Aasiya may have died due to “hemorrhage followed by cardio-vascular arrest”.
According to the medical report prepared by Dr Bilal Ahmed and Dr Nazir Hassan, who had examined the bodies first at District Hospital Shopian on May 30th, there were no injuries, bruises, wounds or fractures on Neelofar’s body but one injury had been found on Aasiya’s nasal bridge.
In both cases, medical report has given this “final opinion”: “Post-mortem could not be done completely because of the hostile environment at that moment, so various aspects of post-mortem remained unexplored. So we could not arrive at the definite conclusion”. It has, further, recorded about Neelofar: “However, in this case the probable cause of death may be neurogenic shock”. About Aasiya, it has recorded: “However, in this case the probable cause of death may be hemorrhage followed by cardio-vascular arrest”.
While the FSL’s Report No: FSL/721-Bio/Sero/Sgr Dated 06-06-2009 is silent about the cause of death in both cases, it has recorded findings of the analysis of vaginal smear of Neelar and Aasiya as under: “Human spermatozoa were detected on the exhibit Nos MK-150/09 and MK-151/09”.
Since no cause of death has been recorded precisely and the doctors have simply relied on their surmise without examining internal organs, particularly brain and lungs, and also no toxicology has been examined, sources revealed that DNA testing could be conducted in a couple of days. They said that necessary orders from District Magistrate would have to be obtained for exhumation of the dead bodies. They said that the commission of inquiry, comprising Mr Justice (Retd) Muzaffar Jan, has started the investigation today with an inspection of the spot where from both the dead bodies had been found.
Sources said that the Jan inquiry had also begun to collect details of the deployment, posting and movement of the Police and armed forces personnel in Shopian area including those who had left on leave in three days after May 30th. Sources said that technical details of mobile phones were also being sought from BSNL, Airtel and other cellphone companies operating networks in Shopian area.
DGP Kuldeep Khoda today ordered constitution of a 3-member SIT for expeditious investigation of the alleged rape-cum-murder, which would function independently. An official spokesman said that the SIT, headed by Commandant IRP 5th Bn, Shah Din Malik, would have Dy SP Awantipore Mushtaq Ahmed Shah and Senior Prosecuting Officer Crime Branch Kashmir Najeeb Hussain Nehvi, as members. Operating under direct supervision of DIG South Kashmir, Rajesh Kumar, SIT would co-opt any other Police officials as members of the team.
Sources said that Dy SP Awantipore, Dy SP Bijbehara and Staff Officer to DIG South Kashmir had a narrow escape when suspected militants hurled a grenade on their vehicle at Zainapora in Shopian-Anantnag belt this evening.
Meanwhile, authoritative sources said that four persons sustained pellet injuries when Police and CRPF used the last option of firing rubber bullets on a mob clashing with them at Sofan Naman village in Shopian area. Sources said that amid strict restrictions on human movement, a procession of three villages was attempting to proceed to Shopian. Clash between the demonstrators and forces led to firing of tearsmoke canisters and rubber pellets from Police and CRPF. All the four injured were rushed to a hospital in Srinagar. However, unconfirmed reports said that 14 persons sustained injuries.
Kashmir valley remained completely shut as on the 8th consecutive day of shutdown, separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani had called for a massive march of people from all corners to Shopian, to register protest over the alleged rape-cum-murder of the two women. However, authorities enforced restrictions on the movement of people at different places and did not allow any assembly of demonstrators. Reports said that routine stone pelting and clashes between demonstrators and Police continued at nine places in Srinagar.
While Geelani is among over a dozen separatist leaders detained and arrested by Police in the last two days and few others have been placed under “house arrest”, Hurriyat (Geelani) has declared that there would be no shutdown from Tuesday. It has, however, asked the Kashmiris to act upon Geelani’s weeklong calendar of protests all over Valley. |
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