The alleged gang rape committed by the Greyhounds personnel on eleven tribal women of Vakapalli village on 20^th August, 2007 has drawn  nationwide attention due to the relentless struggle for justice to the rape victims by various  women’s’, people’s,and rights’ organisations of Vishakhapatnam and Adivasi Aikya Porata Samithi (comprising of political parties and tribal organizations) of Paderu agency area.

Related Links
Will a Rapist Police Officer be Held Guilty?
Nandigram: Brutal Bloodbath Unleashed by CPM
Law and Order Through Fake Encounters
Do Women Need Protection or Justice?

INCIDENT AND IMMEDIATE REACTIONS

Around 6 am of 20th August (Monday) Special police personnel (greyhounds) entered Vakapalli village of G.Madugula Mandal on the pretext of combing operations and unleashed terror on the entire village by their brutal and heinous actions when majority of the men folk were in the fields. They cruelly assaulted the villagers and raped some women at gunpoint in their homes and chased some others to the nearby fields and sexually assaulted them.   The greyhounds left the village around 8 am. The victims also faced social boycott by their husbands on Tuesday.  The rape victims were not allowed to enter their houses by their husbands who charged them as policemen's women.

Complaint was given to the Sub-Collector, Lokesh Kumar on Monday itself around 5.30pm, who instructed the local police to take the victims to King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam for Medical Examination.  On the instructions of Sub-Collector, police registered the case under sections 376 (2) (g) IPC and section 3 (2) (v) of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act) 1989.

Medical Examination also could not be done in time due to the intentional delay caused by the police personnel in taking the victims to the King George Hospital.  On the insistence of the representatives of various organizations, the samples were sent to Hyderabad Forensic Laboratory on Tuesday around 10.30am under the supervision of Anakapalli MRO, unlike the regular practice of sending the samples through the police officials.

On the day of incident itself i.e., 20^th August, DGP, M.A.Basit commented that the allegations are baseless and a ploy by Maoists to discourage the police from carrying out combing operations in the agency area.

On 22^nd August Akun Sabarwal (Rural SP) of Visakhapatnam stated that he interrogated all the accused facing charges in his chambers, individually and separately who out rightly denied the charges and so he came to the conclusion that no gang rape took place as alleged by the agitating representatives of various organizations.  He said that it was only a concocted story floated by the Maoists by using the innocent tribal women in order to prevent the combing operations in the agency area.   The argument extended by the top brass police officials was repeatedly expressed by the police personnel at Paderu and Visakhapatnam.

The bandh call given in support of rape victims on 22^nd August by all the Political parties except Congress and various organizations working for human rights and tribal welfare in Madugala mandal was observed in total success. Rasta rokos and dharnas were organized in all mandal headquarters of Agency area. Commercial establishments were shut down and transportation in the agency areas came to a stand still. Traffic came to a halt at Jagadamba junction in the Visakhapatnam city when the activists of several people's organizations formed a human chain. They besieged the District Collectorate demanding an enquiry into the issue with a sitting judge of the High Court

On  Thursday, (23^rd August) the Sub Collector of Paderu visited the village and showered them with many benefits like silver oak trees, bulls, sheep, loans etc., but did not utter even a single word on the incident

As apprehended by the women and rights activists, it is reported in media on 29^th August that the Forensic Examination revealed no evidence   against the special police personnel in connection with the alleged rape of tribal women at Vakapalli in G Madugula.   The investigating authority faxed a copy of a detailed report on the test results to the High Court on Wednesday

RESPONSE OF VARIOUS COMMISSIONS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

On 25^th August Justice Subhashini Reddy, Chairman of State Human Rights Commission, after a patient hearing of the victims’ version of the incident,  assured them that the Commission would conduct an enquiry in Vakapally village in order to see that  justice  is done to the victims.

On the same day, when the victims approached Chief Minister, he indignantly said how can anybody be arrested without any proof against them.  He has not given any sort of assurance to the victims of getting justice. The victims said that behavior of CM hurt them more than the assault on them by the Greyhounds.

On 26^th August SC and ST Commission Chairman Nagarjuna stated that the Commission member, G.Sandhya Rani, has already visited Vakapalli and interacted with the victims and villagers.  He said that as soon as he gets the report and if the finding confirms gang rape by the accused, recommendations for taking action against the accused would be sent to the Government. He further stated that the Commission has already sent a proposal to the Government to pass a G.O. for providing jobs to the rape victims.

On 30^th August the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices to the DGP of AP and SP of Visakhapatnam seeking an explanation into the incident and action initiated by the police in this connection.

On 6^th September, in order to put a halt to the ongoing vigorous agitations against the injustice meted out to the rape victims of Vakapalli  both in Paderu  and Visakhapatnam city,  the State Government has appointed N Nagi Reddy to hold an inquiry into the gang rape of 11 tribal women by members of a special police party on August 20.   He visited Vakapalli and examined the rape victims, eyewitnesses and several other villagers.  He spoke to the Sub-Collector Lokesh Kurmar about particulars pertaining to the incident.  He also examined the special police personnel who went to Vakapalli on the day of the incident for combing operations.

On 26^th September, the State Government handed over the Vakapalli rape case to CB-CID SP Sivanand Reddy on the directions of the AP HC with a direction to submit the report within two weeks period.  The enquiry officer examined the victims, local officials and interrogated the media personnel in a local PMRC Building, Paderu.  The media personnel revealed that the enquiry officer examined each person for half an hour and were asked how they got the information about the incident and how they responded.

The way in which CB-CID enquiry is conducted, the agitating organizations apprehend that the report will be in favour of the accused police personnel.

On 18^th October, the National ST Commission Chairman, Urmila Singh and Secretary Wilfred Lakhera issued a joint statement  stating that they studied Nagi Reddy report and suggested to the State Government  to take immediate action in that direction.  They have invited the various peoples’ organizations to send their reports of the Commission.

RELENTLESS STRUGGLE - FORMS ADOPTED BY VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS

In the first phase (20^th  to 30^th August) of the struggle for getting justice to the rape victims, the political parties, various women’s’, rights’, Peoples’ and Aikya Porata Samithi (comprising of representatives of all political parties except Congress, women’s, peoples’, rights, tribal, teachers associations)   have organized occasional rallies, dharnas, rasta rokoes, burning of effigies of CM and DGP, holding of public meetings in the Visakhapatnam city and Paderu Agency area demanding identification parade and  arrest of the accused; handing over of  the case to CBI  or appointment of  an independent judicial enquiry with a sitting judge; compensation to the victims, etc 

In this phase the Political parties especially CPM and CPI and various Peoples’ organizations sent Fact Finding teams to Vakapalli village.  Almost all the reports of Fact Findings of these organizations established the fact that tribal women were gang raped by the Greyhounds. It is also pertinent to note that CPM MPs raised the issue in both houses of Parliament and demanded CBI Inquiry into the issue and compensation for the rape victims.

In the second phase (1^st to 30^th September) it was the vigorous struggle of the  Aikya Porata Samithi, led by Rama Rao Dora, Convenor and with the active support of  local BSP MLA, Lake Raja Rao and S.V.Ramana (MPP), PTG net work, an NGO at Paderu Agency area which had come to limelight.   The Samithi’s relay and indefinite hunger strikes involving some of the victims and half naked demonstration by the members of the Samithi inspired many organizations to extend their solidarity to the cause of rape victims.  The students of Degree College and junior colleges held dharnas, rasta rokos and voluntarily boycotted the classes in support of the rape victims.

In this phase the various peoples’ organizations and political parties organized occasional dharnas, rallies and released press notes demanding justice to the rape victims in the city of Visakhapatnam.

The Third phase (1^st to 21^st October) of the struggle has been mainly focused on the demand for the release of the Nagi Reddy’s report to the public. This demand is being made both at the Paderu Agency area and the Visakhapatnam city as well, through dharnas , rallies, besieging of the Collectorate, burning of effigies, rasta rokos etc.

An important feature of all these phases is that a Joint  Action  Group comprising of  Mahila Chetana (K.Padma); Stree Shakt, SS (Lalitha and Jhansi)  Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee, APCLC (Annapurna) Human Rights Forum, HRF (V.S.Krishna), VIRASAM (Chalasani Prasad and Krishna Bai)  CAVOW (K.Padma and Devi) POW (Lakshmi) and representatives of some groups was instrumental in sustaining the struggle spirit by not only organizing different forms of protests but succeeded in involving a section of University teachers, lawyers, media personnel, and other eminent personalities of the city  who extended their solidarity to the cause of getting justice to the Vakapalli rape victims.

Why has the Nagi Reddy report become significant for the agitating organizations? 

His report is the only official document which has confirmed the truth in the allegations made by the victims against the special police personnel.   He is the only Government official who not only visited the village and examined the victims, eye witnesses, village heads but also examined the special police personnel who went to the village on the day of the incident.  He also said that the allegations of the victims cannot be ruled out just because Forensic Examination result failed in establishing the evidence against the accused.  It is suggested in the report that there is possibility of getting clear evidence if a full fledged enquiry is being conducted in the place of incident.  It is clear violation of the basic norms on the part of  SP and the Collector for not conducting enquiry in the place of incident in spite of fact that the case is registered under the SC and SC (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.  He also suggested that appointment of a Special Commission may  bring the realities into limelight.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

•  Police investigation clearly manifests that there is dereliction of duty on the part of the police which is done neither according to the ordinary criminal procedure code nor according to the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules 1995.

• The significant Nagi Reddy report has not been made public in spite of the rights and women’s organizations activists claiming under Right to Information Act.

• The State Human Rights Commission has not conducted any enquiry in the village as promised by the Chairman of the Commission to the rape victims.

• The public and agitating organizations are kept in dark regarding the submission of recommendations of the SC & ST Commission to the State Government and the submission of report by Sivanand Reddy report to High Court and State Government.

• A cursory view of the events of this case reveals that the State Government is determined to protect the accused Greyhounds and to continue its combing operations in the Agency area.

• In view of  the apprehensions expressed by the Girijan and agitating organizations, it may be concluded that the Government is determined to displace the tribals from the mineral rich agency areas so to entrust these areas to the MNCs for mining operations.