New Delhi, Aug 31 - The Shopian twin-rape-and-murder probe is going 'nowhere' because evidence has been manipulated to 'cover up' the 'heinous crime' and shield some 'men in uniform', a women's group here said Monday.

A four-member team of the Independent Women's Initiative for Justice in Shopian visited the south Kashmir town where two women - Asiya Jan, 17, and her sister-in-law Neelofer, 22 - were found raped and murdered May 30.

'Police officials, we met, appear to have abandoned interest in the investigation, and have shifted their focus to protecting the four policemen (accused of destroying evidence) who are currently under arrest, and trying to project them as the victims,' the rights group said in a statement here, after their return to the national capital.

Four police officers, including then district police chief, a deputy superintendent of police, an inspector and a sub-inspector, were suspended and later arrested by the government for negligence of duty and destruction of vital evidence in the case that triggered public outrage across the Valley.

'The consistent and almost systematic manipulation of evidence and cover up from the first instance till date compels us to reiterate the conviction of the Shopian (lawyers) that it is the ?men in uniform' who are being shielded,' it said.

The Shopian crime snowballed into a major controversy after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah initially ruled out possible foul play saying the women had drowned. But he later retracted and said he was misinformed by the district administration and a probe was ordered.

Widespread violent protests against the crime rocked the Kashmir Valley in June and July but investigating agencies are yet to make any headway in identifying and prosecuting the culprits.