J and K HC orders exhumation of Shopian rape victims bodies

Srinagar July 4 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed state police to exhume the bodies of the victims of rape and murder in Shopian for fresh post mortem.

The court also ordered that no person, including security personnel could leave Shopian without special permission. The order is binding on personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force and the Jammu and Kashmir State Police.

A two-judge division bench of the J and K High Court, comprising Chief Justice Barin Gosh and Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir, issued the orders after hearing a PIL filed by the Kashmir Bar Association.

However, the court said the consent of the victims' family is required before the bodies could be exhumed.

The Kashmir Valley has witnessed protests following discovery of the bodies of 17-year-old Asiya and her pregnant 22-year-old sister-in-law Nelofar in a stream on May 30 after they went missing from their orchard on the previous day. Amid massive demonstrations across the Valley, police registered a case of rape and murder. They have not named any suspects.

The same bench of the J and K high Court on Friday ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Inspector General of Police Farooq Ahmed, to interrogate all suspended officials and if necessary to conduct a narco analyses test of these officials.

The Jammu and Kashmir Government suspended the then district police chief of Shopian Javed Iqbal Mattoo, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rohit Baskotra, Station House Officer (SHO) Shafeeq Ahmad, Sub-Inspector Qazi Abdul Karim and Javed Iqbal Hafiz, scientific officer forensic science laboratory following recommendations made by the Justice Muzaffar Jan Commission. (ANI)