The Odisha Crime Branch police on Wednesday informed that the exhibits seized in the Kunduli gangrape case have been sent to the Central Forensic Science laboratory (CFSl), Kolkata for a second opinion after reported inconsistencies surfaced between a so-called intermediate interdivision draft report and the final report of the State Forensic Science laboratory (SFSl), Bhubaneswar.
Claiming possession of a report prepared by the SFSl, a section of media had said that the report indicated presence of human semen drops of different persons on the victim’s undergarment. But basing on a final report of the SFSl, the Crime Branch had submitted a report to the National Human Rights Commission stating that there was no evidence of the minor girl being raped.
When a huge hue and cry was made across the State alleging that the police investigated the case in a biased manner and tampered with the evidences forcing the victim to commit suicide, the SFSl in a clarification added more salt to the injury by stating that the final report submitted to the court was correct in all respects and it remained silent on the contentious intermediate interdivision draft report.
Finding itself on the back foot after being cornered from all sides, the State police last Saturday made an attempt to clear the air of confusion when Director General of Police RP Sharma ordered the Crime Branch to investigate into the alleged discrepancies in the forensic reports. Taking permission from the concerned court, the exhibits have been sent to Kolkata for reexamination, but the Crime Branch is again silent on the so-called intermediate interdivision draft report.
When contacted, Crime Branch SP Prashant Kumar Jena told this correspondent that neither he nor the Crime Branch is aware of existence of any such intermediate report. When asked whether the same report, which is the root cause of discrepancy and the experts who prepared it would be brought under the purview of the ongoing investigation, he said he was not authorised to comment on that.
“I cannot comment on anything other than what is mentioned in the Press release; and I am not authorised to speak beyond this,” Jena, who had signed the Press release issued on Wednesday, said over telephone.