New Delhi, Dec 15 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which ruled out that the two women found dead in Kashmir's Shopian town were raped or murdered, said forensic tests and testimonies of those who found the bodies prove the victims drowned accidentally while crossing a water channel without using the bridge.

In its 66-page probe report submitted to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Monday, the CBI said the two women - Neelofar Jan, 22, and her 17-year-old sister-in-law Asiya Jan - died due to accidental drowning in Rambiara Nallah (drain) near Zawoora Bridge May 29. Also, there was no evidence of suicidal drowning as no note or motive has emerged.

"Neelofar and Asiya Jan both left their Bongam house around 5.15 p. m. for their orchard in Nagbal May 29. They were seen by Dilshada around 7 p. m. descending from the road passing in front of her house, into a water spring located in the dry part of the Rambiara Nallah. Dilshada offered them tea but they refused, saying that they had already gotten late and were in a hurry."

"There are three routes commonly used between Bongam and Nagbal, located on the other side of the nallah. The time taken on shortest route, which involved crossing the nallah directly without using any bridge is 28 minutes. Since the time taken crossing the river directly takes the least amount of time, any person is likely to attempt to reach Bongam from Nagbal taking this route. The water discharge in the nallah was very high at that time," the report added.

The CBI said a woman called Zana Ahmad noticed mud in the nostrils of Neelofar when her body was recovered.

"Witnesses Javed Malik and Mohammed Ismail Sheikh noticed sand in the undergarments of both Neelofar and Asiya respectively. The presence of mud and sand in the bodies of the deceased and its matching with the control earth sample is indicative of the fact their death occurred due to drowning," the report said.

Post-mortem examinations and forensic tests conducted by the team of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) concluded that Asiya Jan died due to asphyxia as a result of ante-mortem drowning.

"There was nothing suggestive of penetration of any penis-like object through the hymeneal opening as the hymen was found intact. Neelofar Jan's death was also caused due to asphyxia as a result of anti-mortem drowning. There were no external ante-mortem injuries on the body," the CBI report, a copy of which is with IANS, said.

The report named five advocates - Abdul Majid Mir, Mushtaq Ahmad Gatoo, Mohammad Yusuf Bhat, Sheikh Mubarak and Altaf Ahmad - for threatening Ghulam Mohiuddin and Abdul Rashid Pampori to give false statements before the Jan Commission as well as investigating agencies. The lawyers also offered some inducements to Mohiuddin and Rahid to lie before everyone. (IANS)

According to the CBI, both Mohiuddin and Rashid gave false statements that they had seen a blue coloured Tata 407 police vehicle parked near Zawoora Bridge with some masked uniformed police personnel standing there and heard cries of women for help from the vehicle.

The investigating agency said all such police vehicles of Shopian were examined but no indication corroborating the statements of these two was obtained.

The CBI said they questioned personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), deployed near the Zawoora Bridge, Special Operation Group and local policemen on duty, but no one noticed any untoward incident near the Rambiara Nallah May 29.

The people who regularly visit the area as well villagers of Deegam, Nagbal, Batpora, Geerwar and Arhama were also questioned but everyone denied seeing any untoward incident, the CBI said.