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Two Doctors Suspended in Kashmir for Laxity in Probe

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, June 25: Two doctors, who performed the autopsy on the bodies of two female victims, who were raped and killed in South Kashmir on May 30, were suspended by the Kashmir government on Thursday.

Official sources said Dr Bilal Ahmed and Dr Nighat Shaheen were placed under suspension Thursday afternoon for their alleged failure to follow standard procedure while performing autopsies of the two women.

The Commission of Inquiry probing the rape and murder case, had recommended departmental action and inquiry against the doctors, who conducted the post-mortem for not taking samples of heart and brain of the bodies for forensic tests.

Earlier on June 21, the Kashmir government suspended five top police officials including a forensic expert allegedly for damaging the evidence.

Meanwhile, the lady doctor, Dr Nighat Shaheen alleged that she is being victimised for telling the truth. "My opinion was sought for gynaecological examination. In my report I had confirmed that the two women were killed before being sexually assaulted. I was not responsible for obtaining the samples of vital organs of the victims".

The bodies of Asiya (17) and her sister-in-law Neelofar Jan (22) were recovered in Shopian on May 30, triggering massive protests.

Meanwhile, a pro-Indian political group, Peoples Democrartic Party (PDP) has expressed surprise at the suspension of Dr Nighat in connection with the Shopian double rape and murder case.

In a statement issued here, a party spokesman termed the suspension order as a clear case of victimization of an officer who has stood by truth and her conscience and has exposed the official conspiracy to hush up the case.

"She was the only doctor who after the second post mortem had declared that it was not a case of drowning or accident but the unfortunate victims had been raped before being murdered", the statement said adding, "Now it seems that the doctor is being punished for speaking the truth and failing to budge before the government pressure".

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.