Modasa Rape-Murder Victim May Have Been Sodomised, Suggests Post Mortem

Three days after the rape and murder case of a dalit girl from Modasa, Aravalli, Gujarat was transferred to Crime Investigation Department (CID), report of a second post mortem conducted by a panel of five doctors of Forensic department of B J Medical College, suggests that the victim may have been brutally sodomised, dragged and forcibly hung.

The post mortem report states, “Part of the rectum is prolapsed from anal canal,” (a state where part of rectum/ large intestine protrudes from the anus) suggesting that the victim might have been brutally sodomised.

The post mortem report further states, “One ligature mark is form of dark reddish brown like abrasion is present on front, right and back of the neck. On the front a ligature mark is present above the level of the thyroid cartilage. One reddish brown colour irregular shape abrasion of 0.5 cm x0.3 cm found on upper part of left chest. There are abrasion marks on shoulder and thumb. The injuries are all ante mortem in nature.”

The post mortem report suggests that the victim might have been forcibly hanged and dragged before being killed.

Notably, after the post mortem report was reported in local media, CID Crime that is investigating the incident released a statement saying, “It is wrong to draw such conclusion from the post mortem report. The matter is very sensitive and no one should rush to such conclusions without confirming it from concerned authorities.”

However, the second post mortem report does raise questions about the authenticity of the first post mortem that was conducted at the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad.

The first post mortem report had no mention of a prolapsed rectum or abrasion or injury marks on the neck or other parts of body. The first report, in fact, had found no sign of either rape or murder.

The first report had stated that, “death was due to asphyxiation”.

Notably, the victim’s elder sister in her statement to CID Crime in Gandhinagar on January 22 has stated that the accused had hurled casteist abuses at her and threatened her and bragged that he is kidnapping her sister and she and her family members can do whatever they want now.

According to officials of CID Crime, the sister testified in front of the SIT formed to investigate the matter. She also stated that she suspects that it was he (accused who threatened) along with his friends who killed her sister (the victim).

The SIT refused to comment on the post mortem report and said it has been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory for further tests. Meanwhile, teams of CID Crime and Modasa Police are yet to arrest the fourth accused who has been on the run. Four accused were named in the FIR out which three had surrendered on January 13.

Interestingly, the case was transferred to CID Crime by Director General of Police (DGP) Gujarat after a huge outcry and protests over apathy of local police and behaviour of Police Inspector NK Rabari who was later suspended.

“Truth is that the police inspector belongs to the same caste as the accused,” a family member of the victim had stated explaining reluctance of PI Rabari to file a missing person and later abduction complaint.

In the FIR, the complainant (a kin of victim) states, “The town police inspector did not act on a missing person report that was taken on January 3. Instead he told the family members that she (victim) had marriage a man of her community (caste) and that he will produce her along with marriage certificate.”