Srinagar, August 12
The state government has decided to refer investigations in the Shopian case to the CBI following reports that the two vaginal samples sent to the CFSL had been tampered with. The issue came up in the state Assembly, at present in session, prompting the Speaker amid noisy scenes to suspend Question Hour.
Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone, after hearing the opposition members and Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather later in the afternoon, ruled that the matter should be investigated by the CBI with information to the state High Court that was already supervising the investigations. Following the Speaker’s ruling, the minister, however, did not read out the statement in the House, which had been assured during the morning session.
Informing the House about the decision of the government on the issue, Rather said it would approach the High Court on the next working day. “We have been making it clear that the government does not want to hide anything in the Shopian case and all those found guilty would be dealt with sternly,” Rather told the Assembly. He added that it had become necessary as fingers were being pointed towards the role of the police. Since the High Court was supervising the investigations by the special investigation team (SIT) of the police, the minister said the government’s decision would be conveyed to the court.
Earlier intervening in the matter this morning, the Finance Minister said the people of Shopian were concerned over the rape and murder of two women ever since their bodies were recovered from a stream on May 30, a day after they went missing.
Cutting across party lines, members of the PDP and the NC and lone CPM member MY Tarigami raised the issue when the Assembly met this morning. Waiving the copies of newspapers carrying the reports of tampering with the vaginal samples, the members asked the government to come out with a statement on the issue. The NC members, who expressed concern over the issue, included Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, Mir Saifullah, Mohammad Yasin Shah and Sheikh Abdul Rashid. Later the members from various political parties spoke on the issue for about an hour.
