Initial medical report rules out rape in Greater Noida
Clothes, tissue samples sent to forensic lab in Lucknow for further tests
GREATER NOIDA: A preliminary medical examination has ruled out rape of four women who were allegedly dragged out of a car and assaulted by highway robbers in Greater Noida’s Jewar, a senior medical officer said on Friday.
A male relative of the women was allegedly shot dead by the gang when he resisted during the incident early on Thursday off the Yamuna Expressway. Eight members of the family were travelling to Bulandshahr.
Gautam Budh Nagar’s chief medical officer Anurag Bhargav, however, said the final opinion will depend on a Lucknow laboratory’s forensic tests on the clothes and tissue samples of the women. The results will take three to four weeks.
The incident has put the Yogi Adityanath government on the back foot, coming weeks after the BJP swept to power in Uttar Pradesh, promising to improve the state’s law and order.
Bhargav told reporters that doctors found no vaginal injury or semen on the four women.
“There was no sexual assault on the women...,” Bhargav said. Noida district magistrate BN Singh and senior superintendent of police Love Kumar were present at press briefing.
Family members of the victims, however, objected to the administration going public with the intitial findings.
“They should have waited for the confirmative report from a forensic lab,” one relative said. “It’s not necessary the initial report will confirm rape. When I went to the spot the victims cried and said they have been raped.”
A doctor at the district hospital also said examination did not show any sign of rape.
“There was no sign of struggle that would suggest even an attempt to rape. There were some bruises on the arms of the women, which could be a result of (the robbers) tying their arms with rope,” said one of the doctors who examined the alleged victims. SSP Love Kumar said the gang rape charge in the FIR will remain till the final forensic results are out. “We have roped in cops from neighbouring states and are hopeful of cracking the case soon,” he said. A team of artists drew sketches of the accused on the basis of description given by the victims. The victims said the language and accent of the six robbers was not local.
In a related development, one of the four women on Friday retracted a statement saying three of the six suspects could be her neighbours.
She said her Thursday’s statement was out of anger and family enmity. Police released the three people detained for questioning.
GREATER NOIDA/JEWAR: One of the four women allegedly gang raped on the Jewar-Bulandshahr Road in Greater Noida, off the Yamuna Expressway, early on Thursday has denied the involvement of her neighbours in the crime.
The woman had earlier given a statement to media persons, saying three of the six suspects could be her neighbours.
But on Friday morning, she allegedly retracted from her statement.
“Through reports, we came to know that they were suspecting their neighbours and based on it, we raided a house late night. Five men were taken for questioning by the special task force and later released,” said Rajpal Tomar, station house officer, Jewar police station.
Tomar said the women had not named any neighbour in the complaint. “We asked her about her apprehensions but she apologised for the statement and denied the involvement of neighbours. She said whatever she said was out of anger,” he said.
The neighbours in question live near the victims’ house and the police have figured out a property dispute between the two families. After the woman’s statement and police raid, there was tension in the tiny village in Jewar. Local clerics interacted with the victims and told them that they should not bring in personal enmity in this case else those involved will go scotfree.
“We live in one area and cannot think of committing such a crime. It is true arguments take place but it does not mean any of us will be falsely implicated. The loss in the family is loss for us also and when police came to raid our house, we were ready to go through any investigation,” said 42-year-old Sageer Ahmad, a neighbour of the victims. His brother Mohammad Salam was detained by police for questioning late on Thursday night.
On Saturday, a final statement would be recorded before the magistrate. “There we will be clear about everything,” said Tomar, who is supervising the investigations. He said surveillance had been mounted on the Bawaria and axle gangs.
As many as 50 personnel from different security agencies — special operation group (SOG), special task force (STF), anti-extortion cell, crime branch and district police — have been roped in to solve the case.
Top officials have set a deadline of two weeks to work out the case — the alleged gang rape of four women and murder of a 38-year-old man. The personnel will work in collaboration with Rajpal Tomar, station house officer, Jewar Police station.
The investigators are probing all the angles and studying similar cases to analyse the modus operandi of such gangs.
We asked her (victim) about her apprehensions but she apologised for the statement and denied the involvement of neighbours. RAJPAL TOMAR, SHO, Jewar police