Saharanpur: The autopsy report of 22-year-old Bhim Army activist Sachin Walia, who had died of a gunshot wound on Wednesday, has only added to the confusion rather than imparting any clarity as there are several contradictions in it.
News 18 accessed a copy of the report, which says that Sachin was hit by a bullet and it went "through and through". This means that the bullet entered the body and then exited. However, it also states that a bullet has been recovered from his chest wall.
Till now, the police had maintained that there was just one bullet, which could have been fired accidentally by Sachin while cleaning a weapon inside the house.
Describing Sachin’s injuries, the report stated, "Gunshot wound of size 1 cm X 0.8 cm through and through at right side of upper lip of mouth." It added that two teeth were fractured, and right upper incisors with surrounding soft bone had been lacerated. The area around the gunshot wound had blackened.
However, on the second page of the report, it stated that a metallic bullet had been recovered from the body. “Bullet recovered at the back of right side of chest upper part in soft tissue," it said. The bullet was sealed in an envelope and sent to SSP of Saharanpur, it added.
According to a government doctor, who has experience dealing with gunshot wounds, the report has contradicted itself. “One possibility is that there were two bullets, one of which went through and through and the other was fired at the chest. In that case, they have failed to mention the second entry wound,” said the doctor on condition of anonymity.
The other possibility, he said, was that the bullet entered from the upper lip and travelled to the chest wall. “While that is an unlikely trajectory, it isn't impossible. In that case, the use of the term ‘through and through’ has made this report more confusing than clarifying,” he added.
The report has further muddled the circumstances surrounding the death, which has caused tension in Saharanpur. Sachin was the local media in charge of Bhim Army and the brother of the outfit’s district president, who is also the Man Friday of Chandrashekhar Azad.
The only thing the police, which has dubbed it an accidental death, and Sachin’s family, had agreed on was that Sachin had died after a bullet had hit him in the face. There are different theories on how and where.
Police claims that Sachin died while cleaning his weapon inside the house, after which he was rushed to the hospital and declared brought dead. The blood trail, said sources, was leading from his house to the main road. But his family and friends said Sachin was shot some 200 meters from the house.
The incident took place on May 9, Maharana Pratap Jayanti, which was also the first anniversary of the 2017 Saharanpur riots. In the run up to this year's Jayanti, the area had been tense as several Rajput outfits had demanded permission to celebrate the event. Bhim Army had opposed it saying that it could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
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