The late Lokendra Vijay: a complicated caseJaipur:This was one piece of evidence that was expected to lay to rest the infamous Jalore rape case in Rajasthan. Yet, the DNA report which, say the police, proves the innocence of Lokendra Vijay, the Jain monk who was charged with the crime, is only bound to create further confusion.According to the report, which has still not been made public by the Crime Branch of the police, the semen stains on the victim's clothes were not of the accused. Out of sheer humiliation, say local people, Vijay had committed suicide after being released by the police last September. Apart from sparking off widespread protests by the Jain community, Vijay's death had led to the suspension of the SP of Jalore, Hemant Priyadarshi, who was alleged to have summoned the suspect but let him off under pressure from the Jain community. The suspension was however revoked following protests from women's organisations and the police top brass who pointed out that Priyadarshi was only doing his duty.And now the Jain community is being accused of manipulating the report. Says Kavita Shrivastava, who spearheaded the women's agitation against recent rape cases in the state: "In almost half a dozen cases, the DNA analysis has gone against the complainants. We will soon begin an in-depth exercise to evaluate the procedures and loopholes in DNA analysis in rape cases."To complicate matters further, Vijay in his suicide note had said that the rape charges were part of a "conspiracy" hatched by a Jain acharya, an angle that the police now have to consider. Besides, Priyadarshi's role and Vijay's suicide are also part of a separate judicial inquiry being conducted by Justice V.S. Kokje, a sitting judge of the Rajasthan High Court. It will obviously be a while before the curtain comes down on the Jalore rape case..preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}Published By: AtMigration Published On: Mar 9, 1998--- ENDS ---
