The CBI-constituted medical board looking into the alleged rape and murder of two girls in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, has recommended that bodies must be exhumed for fresh autopsy which is likely to take place on July 20. However, concerns are being raised over the rising level of the river that could pose problems in exhuming the bodies.
State Irrigation department Executive Engineer D K Jain said that due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand, water level in the Ganga is rising and in the next two days the graves at Ataina ghat could be submerged. "The Porcupine technique which was suggested by CBI to retain the bodies on the bank would not be useful as the technique only works where the water has depth. There is a possibility of water taking away the bodies to some other place by breaching the embankment during the floods," he said adding the district authorities had asked them to protect the graves but it would be impossible once the banks are flooded. But CBI sources said every aspect is being considered before taking any action.
Meanwhile, in yet another incident of unabated crime against the fair sex in UP, a woman was allegedly gangraped and tortured before being murdered in Balsinghkheda village of Mohanlalganj tehsil of lucknow. Incidentally, the village is just 8 km from Jabrauli where former US President Bill Clinton visited on Thursday. The woman's body, with injury marks on the face, eyes and other parts, was found lying in a pool of blood outside the primary school.
CBI sources said the board of three-forensic experts has recommended that fresh autopsy was needed before forming any opinion on the rape-cum-murder case which will necessitate exhumation of bodies. "Tentatively, the exhumation and fresh autopsies may take place on July 20 subject to permission from the appropriate court," CBI spokesperson Kanchan Prasad said.
The move comes after the autopsy report of the State government was only suggestive of rape without any conclusive proof. Sources in the agency said the first post- mortem was conducted at night, which is usually against laid down procedures. Post-mortem is not conducted after sunset except in exceptional emergency cases. The postmortem was conducted by a lady doctor who had no prior experience of it.
The panel also remained silent on where the blood found near the private part of the younger girl came from; whether it was human blood; the time of death of the two girls; expert opinion over the finding that the death is result to asphyxia as a result of anti-mortem hanging, viscera report..
Sources also maintained that mother of one of the victims had already given her consent to the CBI sleuths to exhume the bodies and go ahead with second post-mortem examination.The consent of mother and medical board findings would ease the job of the CBI to get clearance from the local court to exhume the bodies and get the second autopsy conducted.