According to CMO, the samples were collected 11 days after the woman was allegedly raped, while government guidelines strictly say forensic evidence can only be found up to 96 percent hours after the incident. Hence the report could not confirm rape in this incident.

The Dalit woman had been assaulted, allegedly by four upper caste men, on September 14, and was able to provide the details of the alleged sexual assault after she regained consciousness at the AMU hospital on September 22. After her statement was recorded before a magistrate, police had added relevant sections of rape to the FIR.

Following her statement, samples were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, which received them on September 25 – 11 days after the attack. It was based on this FSL report that the UP Police claimed that the woman was not raped.

On October 3, the Department of Forensic Medicine at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College wrote to the Circle Officer of Sadabad police station in Hathras with the subject, “Final opinion in response to your letter”. Signed by Assistant Professor Dr Faiz Ahmad and Chairman Dr Saeed, it gave a “final opinion” with reference to the circle officer’s letter “and the FSL report”, stating that “there are no signs suggestive rape” and “there are evidences of physical assault (injuries over the neck and back)”.

Dr Hamza Malik, president of the Resident Doctors’ Association at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, called the FSL report “unreliable”.

The woman’s post mortem from Safdarjung Hospital had also said that she was raped brutally.

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However senior officials said that political leaders will not be permitted. The official said that the curbs were put in place only to maintain law and order.

In the last two days several opposition leaders have been stopped from entering the village even amid massive protests.

The family of the victim had alleged that they were not being allowed to come out of their homes. The police official dismissed the allegations saying that they are baseless.

On October 1, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were stopped dramatically by the police, when they were leading a march into the village.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’ Brien, along with several other party leaders , said they were manhandled by the UP police when they tried to enter the victim’s village.

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make another attempt this afternoon to meet the family of the 20-year-old. “Nothing in the world can stop me from going to Hathras to meet this unhappy family to share their pain,” Mr Gandhi tweeted this morning.

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