Srinagar, May 26: The state government has initiated inquiry against the suspended doctors accused in Shopian rape and murder case and has filed the same chargesheet against them as filed by Central Bureau of Investigation, accusing them of defaming police and security forces.
Government in its communication has informed the accused doctors that it proposes to hold an inquiry under Rule 33 of the Jammu and Kashmir Classification Control and Appeal Rules 1956 against them for ‘fabricating the evidence’ in the rape and murder case of Asiya Jan and Neelofar in May last year.
Government has asked the doctors to submit written statement of their defence within 21 days and if they fail, the inquiry is liable to be held ex-parte.
In its chargesheet the government said, “In May 2009 the doctors prepared false post mortem report about the cause of the two ladies’ death thus violating Rule 3 (1) (i) of J&K Employees Conduct Rules.”
It said the doctors had given fabricated replies to the questionnaire issued by the Special Investigation Team and thus disregarding the provisions of J&K Employees Conduct Rules.
The chargesheet further said that it had been found that the accused doctors fabricated and fudged the slides with an objective of defaming the police and security forces thereby violating Rule 3 of J&K Employees Act 1971.
It said, “The conduct and behaviour of the doctors had been prima facie found to have become cause of general strikes in the sate and also resulted in the death of civilians, which is in violation of Rule 20 of J&K Employee Rules 1971.”
Government has however, charged separately Dr Nighat Shaheen for making a ‘false’ statement on May 30, 2009, before the Deputy Commissioner Shopian and the crowd gathered outside the Shopian hospital thereby ‘violating’ the Employees Rules.
Government has also asked the accused doctors to state whether they desire to be heard in person and to furnish the names and addresses of witnesses and documents they wish to call in support of their defence.
It has informed the doctors that if for the purpose of preparing their defence they wish to inspect and take extracts from any official records, they should furnish a list of such records to the Deputy Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department within 10 days.
“If in the opinion of the government any such record is not relevant for the purpose of inquiry or it is against the security of the state, they will not be permitted to inspect or take extracts from the same,” the government communiqué said.
On December 10, 2009, the CBI presented chargesheet against 13 persons before the CJM Srinagar. The chargesheet said that Asiya Jan and Neelofar have been neither raped nor murdered. The CBI described the death as “accidental drowning.”
The CBI said that investigation has established that false post mortem reports were prepared by the first team of doctors comprising Dr Bilal Ahmad Dalal, and Dr Nazia Hassan and second team of doctors comprising Dr Nighat Shaheen, Dr Ghulam Qadir Sofi and Dr Maqbool Mir in connivance with Dr Ghulam Muhammad Paul.
Asiya Jan, 17, and her pregnant sister-in-law Neelofar were found dead on May 30 off a stream in Shopian, triggering a major uprising in the Kashmir Valley last year amid reports that the two had been raped and murdered allegedly by troops.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 26 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 26 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 IST