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Shopian murder case: 4 policemen suspended
DHNS
Last Updated IST

 The commission has confirmed that Asiya and Nilofar, whose bodies were found in a rivulet on May 30, were raped and killed.

An official spokesman said four police officers—Javaid Iqbal Mattoo, superintendent of police, Rohit Baskotra, deputy superintendent of police, Gazi Abdul Karim, sub inspector, and Shafiq Ahmad, inspector—were placed under suspension.

Javaid Iqbal Hafiz, a scientific officer from the forensic laboratory, was suspended for deliberately delaying the process of investigation by not handing over a certificate confirming that the girls were raped before their murder on May 29.

The commission has recommended criminal prosecution against the cops for destroying evidence during the investigation.

The commission submitted its 150-page interim report to the state government on Sunday evening. While the report has not identified the persons behind the rape and murder, it said some vital clues have been obtained and the culprits were likely to be arrested shortly.

The commission has strongly criticised the role of Shopian police and administration in dealing with the case and the crises. The police and administration had claimed that the girl and woman drowned and not raped or killed.

The commission also recommended stern disciplinary action against the then deputy commissioner Shopian Mohammad Ramzan Thokar for inaction and for not ordering registering of a case immediately. It also recommended a departmental action and inquiry against two teams of doctors, who conducted the postmortem, for not taking the samples of heart and brain of bodies.

The local people had alleged that the girls were raped and killed either by police men or security personnel, since their camps are located near the apple orchard, where the deceased had gone.

The state government ordered a judicial probe headed by retired high court judge Justice Muzaffar Jan on June 3 after the issue snowballed into a controversy and protests rocked the Valley. 

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(Published 23 June 2009, 01:25 IST)