[Reader-list] Shopian truth nailed

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

*Exclusive: Shopian truth nailed* *Harinder Baweja* *New Delhi, February 13,
2010*




Link - http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story?sId=83795&secid=4

The Shopian double rape-cum-murder case, that singed the Kashmir Valley for
months last year, was based on doctored medical reports. While a CBI probe
has already established this, evidence has come to light that shows the
post-mortem reports of the victims were fudged at the behest of Majlis
Mashawarat, an organisation that was at the forefront of the agitation
against security forces.

Taped conversations between a Majlis representative and two doctors have
emerged that nail the lie of the Shopian rapes. The Jammu and Kashmir Police
tapped the phones of the Majlis officials and the doctors. Government
doctors at the Kashmir hospitals who conducted the post-mortems on Asiya Jan
and her sister-in-law Nilofer Jan, the two women security personnel were
accused of raping and killing, knew they were not raped.

Yet, post-mortem reports were made to doctor the truth. Shopian and entire
Kashmir burnt for nearly two months. The Omar Abdullah government faced its
first serious crisis as the Valley erupted, accusing it of trying to shield
the guilty.

But taped conversation between a doctor who conducted the post-mortem and
Mohammad Shafi Khan, the vice-president of the Majlis - which was
representing the families of the victims - show a deliberate attempt was
made to cook up false reports.

*Headlines Today* is in exclusive possession of a copy of the audio tape and
also another one in which conversations between Shafi Khan and Dr Qadir Khan
were recorded.

Dr Khan was appointed by the Majlis as observer at the time when the bodies
of Nilofer and Asia were exhumed by the CBI. Soon after the exhumation, he
called up Shafi Khan and told him that Asiya's hymen was intact, which ruled
out the charge of rape.

He told Shafi that the CBI had evidence to prove that the rape charges were
false and suggested that the Majlis should now take the stand that "attempts
to rape" were made.

Here are excerpts of their conversation.

*Dr Qadir Khan*: I have told you that the hymen is intact and our case has
become weak. But if we say otherwise, that is not possible now because the
CBI have taken samples and photographs. What can be done?

*Shafi Khan: *That is right.

*Dr Qadir Khan:* They have taken vaginal samples. We cannot lie in this
regard and why should we lie? They have taken close photographs/ magnifying
photographs… Even then, I told them that we cannot rule out attempt of
rape. Because we can then say she (Asiya) was brave, she resisted… This I
told the lady doctor present there and she agreed that it can also happen.
Now take care of me. I do not want to get involved in this.

Dr Khan is on tape admitting that the hymen of one of the alleged victims
was intact. But to the Majlis, he suggests that another fake charge be
levelled as a way to save its face.

Nearly 900 people were injured in violence across the Valley after
allegations of rape of the two women by the security forces surfaced.

The entire valley witnessed several bandhs.

Security personnel were arrested on charges of rape.

The CBI report accessed exclusively by Headlines Today says a "deliberate
conspiracy was hatched against the police and the security forces where
concerted efforts were made to create false evidence". The report says
doctors at the Shopian and Pulwama hospitals created false postmortem
reports, fudged slides of samples taken from the alleged victims' bodies and
resorted to inducing and threatening the witnesses to give false testimony.

Dr Nighat Shaheen, who was on the team that conducted the second
post-mortems on the victims, concluded that they had been raped without even
examining their vaginas.

She admits her mistake to the Majlis vice-president and even said she wanted
to go to the court to speak out the truth, but was stopped from doing so.

The CBI report says the first team of doctors prepared several post-mortem
reports, making additions to suit the changing circumstances.

Dr Nighat and her associates falsely mentioned in their postmortem report
that Asiya's hymen was ruptured.

However, doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) who
conducted the autopsy after the CBI exhumed the bodies, found that Asiya's
hymen was intact.

Dr Nighat and her associates said Nilofar died due to neurogenic shock. The
AIIMS team found that she died due to asphyxia as a result of antemortem
drowning.

Even after accepting that she had fudged the slides, Dr Nighat insisted that
rape did take place.

The Abdullah government gave the clearance for tapping the phones of Majlis
representatives, the doctors and lawyers of the Shopian bar council. But
given the sensitivities in the Valley, it is a challenge for it to bring out
the undoctored truth.

Security forces have committed excesses in Kashmir in many cases, but
Shopian clearly was not one of them.