Two J&K doctors dismissed for fabricating evidence in 2009 ‘Shopian rape-murder’ case

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on June 22 terminated services of two doctors for allegedly “actively working” with Pakistan-based groups and fabricating evidence in the 2009 “Shopian rape-murder” case, officials said. Two women, Asiya Jan and Neelofar, were found dead in a stream in Shopian on May 30, 2009, leading to allegations that they were raped and murdered by security personnel.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on June 22 terminated services of two doctors for allegedly “actively working” with Pakistan-based groups and fabricating evidence in the 2009 “Shopian rape-murder” case, officials said.

Two women, Asiya Jan and Neelofar, were found dead in a stream in Shopian on May 30, 2009, leading to allegations that they were raped and murdered by security personnel.

The incident sparked protests in Kashmir and brought it to a near standstill for 42 days. Later, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe and found that the two women were never raped or murdered.

The two doctors, Dr Bilal Ahmad Dalal and Dr Nighat Shaheen Chilloo, stand dismissed from service for "actively working" with Pakistan and hatching a conspiracy with its assets within Kashmir to falsify the post-mortem report of Asiya Jan and Neelofar of Shopian, who had unfortunately died due to accidental drowning on May 29, 2009, the officials said.

The ultimate aim of the two doctors was to create disaffection against the Indian state by falsely accusing the security forces of rape and murder, they said.

The two have been charge-sheeted by the CBI for fabricating evidence and twisting the accidental deaths due to drowning as rape and murder.

Dalal was the first doctor to conduct an autopsy of the bodies, whereas Chilloo was a part of the second team of doctors that conducted post-mortem examination, the officials said.