‘Contradictions could be due to docs’ inexperience’

Phatak had viewed the video of the autopsy. “In case of a sexual assault,there would have been bleeding. However,no blood was found on the clothes of the girls.” Phatak said external injuries may have been caused due to improper handling of the bodies.

According to Phatak,there was a possibility that doctors who performed the autopsy were inexperienced,and three of them were in their first job.

This could be the reason there were contradictions in the reports.

As was evident in the videos,he said,the doctors did not physically handle the bodies; it was done by non-medical staff.

The state home department has been unable to explain the contradictions. State Home Minister R R Patil refused to comment on the matter.

Officials in the home ministry said,“If the forensic report suggests drowning,then we will have to find out if someone pushed the girls in the well or if it was a case of suicide.”

Last week,based on the post-morten report,Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had said the girls were raped and killed.

He had said he was making the statement based on information provided by Maharashtra government.

A senior officer in the home department said,“If the forensic report is right,then we will have to look at the entire case afresh. It is very embarrassing for the state.”

Following Phatak’s observations,the government has urged the health department to verify the credentials of the doctors who conducted the autopsy and came to conclusion about sexual assault.

Three arrested for looting bank’s van

Wardha police Saturday arrested three persons,including a cash officer,and recovered Rs 41 lakh from them in connection with the Rs 2.5-crore heist on cash-carrying van of Axis Bank. The heist happened near Thanegaon village,about 60 km from here on Thursday. The van was headed for Nagpur from Akola.