Shopian case: Tampering of key forensic evidence?

While there was no official word from either the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Delhi or Jammu and Kashmir Government, official sources said today the two slides of vaginal swab sent by the Special Investigating Team to the CFSL do not match with that of the two victims -- Neelofar and Aasiya.

The Special Investigating Team headed by Farooq Ahmed, at present Inspector General of Police (Kashmir), had sent these to CFSL for making a DNA profile of the tissue cells present in slides.

The CFSL made attempts to compare the vaginal swabs with that of the viscera and blood samples of the two victims but it did not match, sources said, prompting the CFSL officials to conclude that the slides said to be prepared from vaginal swab of the victims were actually drawn from some other women.

A quick internal inquiry found that the slides were first taken to Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Srinagar which refused to accept them saying that sealing was not proper.

According to the daily diary of the case, the slides were first taken to the residence of a doctor where they were sealed and handed over to the FSL.

The CFSL findings are likely to be placed before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court tomorrow when it will review the status of the case.