Sexual Assault Can't Be Ruled Out In Hathras Case, AIIMS Says In Its Report To CBI

A report by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences says that sexual assault can't be ruled out in the Hathras case. As per the medical report submitted to Central Bureau of Investigation, "the pattern of injuries sustained during sexual violence may show considerable variations."  The revelations have been made in the CBI chargesheet filed against the four accused in the case at  Hathras District court, on basis of the deceased woman’s statement made on September 22.

Also Read: My Father Saw The News And Started Crying: Hathras Deceased’s Brother On CBI Chargesheet

The 19-page chargesheet, accessed by IANS, reveals that AIIMS' Multi-Institutional Medical Board (MIMB) headed by Dr Adarsh Kumar, has released a report according to which, "...the possibility of sexual assault cannot be ruled out. The pattern of injury sustained during an incident of sexual violence may show considerable variations. This may range from complete absence of injuries (more frequently) to grievous injuries (very rare). In this case, since there was a delay in reporting or documentation or forensic examination for sexual assault, these factors could be responsible for the absence of significantly visible signs of genital injury."

The CBI said in its chargesheet that the MIMB also mentioned multiple old healed tears in the hymen, as mentioned in the deceased woman's post-mortem report.

Earlier this week, all four accused in the case, Sandeep, Lavkush, Ravi, and Ramu, were charged with gangrape and murder by the CBI, their lawyer confirmed. They were booked under Sections 302(Murder), SC-ST Act (3,2,5), 376 (Rape), 376D (Gangrape), 354 (Assault on women to outrage the modesty of women) of the IPC.

Also Read: Delhi, Hathras And Now Balrampur: India Continues To Be In Denial Of It’s Rape Culture

The 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gangraped by four upper-caste men on September 14, and died while undergoing treatment at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on September 29. Following her death, the woman's family alleged that Uttar Pradesh police had “forcibly” cremated her body. This accusation led to an outrage on social media. This claim was however denied by UP police. The CBI registered a case on October 11 and started its investigation.

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court announced on December 16, that the next hearing in the case will be on January 27 next year.

Feature Image Credit: NDTV

Read More Stories By Ria Das