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Monday, Jun 08, 2009
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Forensic report confirms Shopian women were raped

Shujaat Bukhari

Police foil Eidgah march by Dukhtaran

— Photo: NISSAR AHMAD

IN DEFENCE OF HONOUR: Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi at a march in Srinagar on Sunday.

SRINAGAR: The Forensic Sciences Laboratory on Sunday confirmed that the two women who died under suspicious circumstances at Shopian had been sexually assaulted before they died.

The police have registered a First Information Report under Section 376 of the Ranbir Penal Code.

Police sources told The Hindu that the report by the FSL confirmed that Neelofar (22), who was pregnant, and Asiya (17) were sexually assaulted before their death last week. “Spermatozoa detected,” reads the report given by the experts.

The bodies had visible marks of violence as per the doctors who conducted the autopsy, the sources said; it would be further investigated whether it was a gang rape.

The FIR, the sources said, would pave the way for further investigations and help the judicial commission headed by Justice Muzaffar Jan to probe the matter.

The police had maintained that it was a case of drowning and prima facie no rape and murder had taken place. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah endorsed the view at a news conference here.

Strike continues

Meanwhile, the strike against the rape and death of these women continued for the seventh consecutive day; the police on Sunday foiled a march to Eidgah by the women’s outfit, Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM).

DeM chief Asiya Andrabi told journalists that “to hold this march was to demonstrate that women in Kashmir will not allow any assault.” To have knives in our hands means defence of “our honour and chastity.”

The police arrested hardline separatist Syed Ali Geelani from his Hyderpora residence late on Saturday. Mr. Geelani, who has been spearheading the protests, has been taken to a safe-security zone. Sources said he was likely to be booked under the Public Safety Act.

Another separatist, Shabir A. Shah, is already behind bars and leaders like Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik and Javed Mir are under house arrest.

On Sunday also, clashes took place between the police and protesters at many placesin which several people were injured.

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