Mumbai, December 4
The Vilasrao Deshmukh government in Maharashtra is on the backfoot with a premier state agency pointing fingers at senior officials for playing down the rape and murder of a Dalit family in September last.
The Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHDA), which trains administrative service cadre officers from Maharashtra, in a report has indicted top police officials, doctors and political leaders for attempting to hush up the rape and murder of four members of a family.
The incident, which happened at Bhandara district in September last, has led to protests and violence by Dalits in different parts of the state.
While Surekha and Priyanka Bhotmange, the mother and daughter of the family, were brutally raped and murdered, the two sons were hacked to death.
Based on interviews with senior officials, the YASHDA report indicted Inspector-General of Nagpur Pankaj Gupta for stating that the victims were not raped. The report also stated that Gupta took bribes from interested persons before making his statement.
The Medical officer, Dr Shende, who conducted the post-mortem examination on the two women was indicted for not investigating the possibility of sexual assault.
The report said Dr Shende did not take vaginal swabs from the two bodies though the two women were found naked in a field indicating the possibility of sexual assault.
