A fresh post mortem on a minor girl, whose body was found hanging near the Nighasan police station in Lakhimpur-Kheri district, on Monday revealed she was murdered but ruled out rape even as the Mayawati government ordered a CB—CID probe, removed a top police officer and suspended three doctors.
“The second post-mortem conducted by a panel of doctors from Lucknow has concluded that the girl was strangulated but ruled out rape,” Special Director-General of Police (SDGP) Brij Lal told reporters in Lucknow.
He said Lakhimpur SP D.K. Rai has been removed and Amit Chandra, a PAC Commandant in Lucknow, has been posted in his place.
“The SP has been removed as prima facie laxity in supervision of the investigation has been detected. As a senior officer, he should not have relied solely on the (first) post-mortem report,” the SDGP said.
He said the three doctors, who performed the autopsy earlier — A.K. Agarwal, S.P. Singh and A.K. Sharma — have been placed under suspension.
The second post mortem was performed by a panel of doctors from Lucknow after the body of the girl was exhumed from Nighasan town in Lakhimpur.
“The doctors have been suspended as they mentioned asphyxia as the cause of death which was entirely different from the findings of the new report,” he said.
Divisional Commissioner, Lucknow, Prashant Trivedi and IGP Subesh Kumar told a press conference here that the girl was strangulated and had not died due to asphyxia, caused by the hanging, as mentioned in the first report.
After the incident sparked an outrage, the State government rejected the earlier autopsy report and ordered a fresh post mortem by a panel of doctors from other districts.
Missing since Friday evening, the girl's body was found hanging near the Nighasan police station in Lakhimpur-Kheri district. The victim’s mother in her complaint had alleged that her daughter was raped and murdered.
The second post-mortem was performed by a panel of doctors from Lucknow after the body of the girl was exhumed from Nighasan town in Lakhimpur.
Divisional Commissioner, Lucknow, Prashant Trivedi and IGP Subesh Kumar told a press conference Lakhimpur that the girl was strangulated and had not died due to asphyxia, caused by the hanging, as mentioned in the first report.
After the incident sparked an outrage, the State government rejected the earlier autopsy report and ordered a new post-mortem by a panel of doctors from other districts.
Mr. Trivedi said suspension of the three doctors who had conducted the first post mortem had been recommended.
An FIR had been lodged against a sub-inspector and two policemen for allegedly tampering with evidence.
Missing since Friday evening, the girl's body was found hanging from a tree near an under-construction block in Nighasan police station in Lakhimpur-Kheri district of the State.
The victim’s mother in her complaint had alleged that her daughter was raped and murdered.
A 10-member team of the the CB-CID, which has been asked to submit its report within a week, visited the scene of the incident.
The team, led by SP Shriprakash Tripathi, examined records at the police station and recorded statements of the girl’s family.
Eleven policemen posted at the station had been suspended after the girl’s body was found.
Keywords: U.P. girl murder, Lakhimpur-Kheri district, Nighasan police station.
