Shopian cries another CBI ‘botch-up’

After the Aarushi case, CBI is now under fire for “botching up” investigations into the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian.

Neelofar and her sister-in-law Aasiya were found dead in a local stream on May 30, 2009, a day after they went missing. Family members and locals alleged they were raped and murdered, sparking off massive protests across the valley.

Under pressure, the Jammu and Kashmir government handed over the case to CBI, which ruled out rape and murder and concluded the women died of drowning.

A year later, their family is bracing for another round of agitation to pressure the government and CBI to bring the alleged culprits to justice.

“We are reconstituting MeM [Majlis-e-Mashawarat, a civil society group that spearheaded the agitation in 2009] to lead another struggle for justice. We are thankful to the MeM members who led the 2009 agitation,” Aasiya’s brother and Neelofar’s husband Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar said.

The family is planning to take its agitation to different states and “expose” the government and CBI. “Everybody knows who the culprits are, but they do not want to take action. Those who fought for justice are being victimised,” he said.

CBI named 13 people - six doctors, four Shopian lawyers and two civilians, including Aasiya’s brother Zahoor Ahmad Ahangar - as accused in the case. Its charge sheet blamed Zahoor for inducing, assaulting and threatening witnesses to make false statements against police and security forces.

“Everyone in the world has rubbished the CBI report and claims. We will not give up, we will fight to the finish. Our struggle will continue in 2011,” Shakeel said.