Kashmir judge plea to protesters

The alleged rapes and murders have generated much anger

The high court in Indian-administered Kashmir has appealed to the people of Shopian district to end their strike over the alleged murders of two women.

Chief Justice Barin Ghosh assured the family of the two women that "we will go to the bottom of this matter and bring the culprits to justice".

Shopian has seen 47 days of protests and strikes over the case.

Four policemen and a forensic laboratory official have been suspended following an inquiry into the case.

The bodies of the two women were discovered in a canal in Shopian on 30 May.

The government initially maintained that they had died in an accident and that they had not been raped or killed.

But later the police registered a case of both rape and murder.

The incident seriously challenged the credibility of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who ordered a judicial inquiry into the case following days of violent protests in the Kashmir Valley.

'Thankful'

Addressing members of the Majlis-e-Mushawarat - the consultative committee leading the protest in Shopian - Justice Ghosh said it was due to the peaceful agitation of the people that the investigation of the case progressed as much as it did.

"The entire nation is thankful to you, the entire nation is with you," he said.

The judge said that the people of Shopian had suffered long and should not suffer any longer.

"The restoration of normalcy would not only bring relief to the people of Shopian but also help in the investigation of the case."

The vice-president of Majlis Mohammad Shafi Khan told the court that he would put the suggestion before the Majlis and hope that "something positive would emerge".

The court also ordered the collection of DNA samples from the four police officers who were earlier suspended for destroying evidence pertaining to the case.

The judge said their DNA profile would be matched with that of the deceased women.

The court also ordered that no subordinate court sold grant bail to the four officers.

A judicial inquiry into the double murders - conducted by retired judge Justice Muzaffar Jan last week said the police were involved.

Protests have raged throughout the Kashmir Valley since 30 May and shops and businesses have remained shut in Shopian since then.