Vyapam scam: CBI files first murder case in Namrata Damor death

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the Vyapam Scam as well as the deaths allegedly related to the massive recruitment fraud, on Friday registered the first murder case that of Namrata Damor whose body was found on a railway track in Ujjain, three years ago. The 19-year-old girl's case was declared that of a suicide and police in 2013 had filed a closure report of the same.

The case was highlighted again this year when Akshay Singh, a Delhi based journalist, died mysteriously while interviewing Namrata's father in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. Officials later told dna that the probe agency had registered a 'preliminary enquiry' into the suspicious death of Akshay and the investigation of the same case has been taken over by the CBI.

Dr Anand Rai, one of the three whistleblowers of the Vyapam scam, had been advocating the case of Namrata for quite sometime now and told dna that he was hopeful that the truth in to her death will emerge. Dr Rai also mentioned about the last conversation he had with journalist Akshay Singh before his untimely death. "He (Akshay) had asked my opinion that on deaths related to Vyapam and which ones were the most suspicions. I mentioned three and Namrata was one of them. It was only after a few days that i came to know about his death through news," said Dr Rai.

Rai said that Namrata's case was a proof of how authorities aided the culprits to escape from being punished. "The fact that samples of semen were found over the body of deceased and first autopsy results which said that she died due smothering clearly indicate that she was assaulted sexually. She had nail marks on her face and body yet police did not file a case of murder or suspected rape," Dr Rai said.

Namrata had undergone an autopsy in which the surgeons declared that it was a case of homicide. "The panel of doctors that conducted the postmortem has never mentioned in their postmortem reports that it was a case of suicide. We also found nail injuries at three places on her face," said Dr BB Purohit, who had conducted the autopsy on Namrata along with Dr OP Gupta (medical officer) and Dr Anita Joshi (gynaecologist).

However after police sought a second opinion from Medico-Legal Institute whose director Dr DS Badkur had inspected the spot on February 7 the same year and submitted his report in March rejecting the opinion of autopsy surgeon that Namrata death was homicidal. In its report the Medico-Legal Institute also questioned the competency of the team of surgeons which had done autopsy on Namrata.

The opinion by the institute had aggressively discredited not only the autopsy surgeons but also very firmly suggested that Namrata might have taken her life after facing 'disappointment in love and intimate relationship'.

"There is always some reason to commit suicide... in this case disappointment in love and intimate relationship and annoyance of parents, as evident from the statement of a friend of the deceased and presence of human spermatozoa," reads the report.

The report further says that since the deceased was unmarried and vaginal smear was found with human spermatozoa, "all possible attempts should be made to identify the person who had sexual intercourse with her."

The police maintained that it found no involvement of five 'suspected' accused in the case. The names included, Yash Disawal, Vishal Verma, Dev Sisodia, Shraddha Kesarwani and Alekh Dave.One of the accused, Vishal, is currently under arrest for his alleged role in the scam.