Women victims of Khairlanji massacre not raped, say police

Nagpur, Nov 7 (UNI) The two women from a ''dalit'' family, who were massacred by villagers in Khairlanji in Bhandara district of Vidarbha region recently, were not raped before being done to death, the police have said.

Reports of post-mortem examinations on the bodies of Surekha Bhotmange (44) and her daughter Priyanka (18) indicate that they were not raped before being killed by a mob in the village, Special Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nagpur Range Pankaj Gupta told newspersons here this evening.

First post-mortem examination was conducted during the course of the investigations and a second examination was conducted following demands from Surekha's husband Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, Mr Gupta said.

The police had sought the permission of the court to conduct lie detector tests on the six main accused in the case, he said. The police had arrested 44 people, including two women, in connection with the case, all of whom are in magisterial custody at present, he also said.

Action had been initiated against some police personnel for failing to gauge the seriousness of the situation before the incident, Mr Gupta said. Departmental action had also been initiated against the doctor who conducted the first post mortem for failing to make a video recording of the examination, he said.

Mr Gupta said investigations into the case had been affected because the police were busy maintaining law and order for the past few days with protests at several places against the Khairlanji incident.

Surekha, daughter Priyanka, and sons Roshan (23) and Sudhir (21) were done to death by a mob in the village late on the night of September 30 over a land dispute.

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