SRINAGAR: The commission of inquiry instituted by the state government into the rape and murder of two young women in south Kashmir's Shopian town has indicted top district officials "for destroying evidence and dereliction of duty."
In his interim report, Justice (retired) Muzaffar Jan has found the Shopian district administration guilty of "destroying vital evidence, not preserving the scene of crime, interfering with post-mortem report and dereliction of duty."
The 300-page report was submitted by the probe head to the state government late last evening. Following the receipt of the report, state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah held a meeting here yesterday in which the report was discussed.
Highly placed sources here said the state government has decided to act on the interim report of the probe and fix responsibility. Sources here said the administration is likely to suspend the then district police chief Shopian, Javed Iqbal Mattoo, the deputy police superintendent Shopian, the station house officer and some other police officials.
Sources said the report has also found lapses on the part of a top south Kashmir police officer. "Because of the negligence of the authorities, civil administration, including doctors and police involved in the handling of the incident, vital evidence which could have easily helped in nabbing the culprits were destroyed and lost," the report which has devoted 70 pages on the lapses on the part of the local administration said.
