Days after the Supreme Court ruled that investigation into the gang rape of 11 Adivasi women in Andhra in 2007 must be expedited, police personnel in the state have welcomed the ruling.
The incident happened in Vakapalli hamlet and the main accused in the case were police personnel.
“This has come as a relief to us, as the family members of the accused have been undergoing mental torture for the last 10 years. We want the trial to begin so that it can be proved that the case was fabricated against us by the tribals with the help of a few people’s organisations and the Maoists. The aim was to put brakes to our anti-Maoist operation in the agency areas,” President of the Visakhapatnam District Police Officers Association Subba Raju, was quoted as saying.
“Greyhound cops have been taking immense risk in stopping the illegal activities of Maoists. And the Maoists, in turn, campaign against them using tribals as shields. We want speedy trial in the case so that it can be proven that the case was fabricated,” he added.
Earlier this week, the apex court had expressed concern at the slow pace of the case, and ordered the case to be fast-tracked.
A two-judge bench noted that the criminal trial must now be heard every day and concluded within six months.
The accused in the case also welcomed the SC’s decision to speed up the trail.
The incident took place on August 20, 2007 in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, when 11 Adivasi women belonging to Kondh tribe of Vakapalli village in the Nurmati panchayat of the Agency area, in Visakhapatnam, were allegedly gang raped by the Greyhounds personnel (an elite anti-naxal force) at gun point.
The Greyhounds personnel had gone into the village to carry out a combing operation against Maoist rebels.
An FIR was lodged against the Greyhounds personnel under Sections 376 (ii) (g) of the Indian Penal Code IPC (gang rape) and Section 3 (2) (V) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.
After activists approached the High Court, a CID inquiry was initiated, which suggested that the rape allegation was false and the case was unsupported by medical evidence.
A protest petition was then filed against the CID report, following which a junior first-class Magistrate rejected the report.
Following this, the HC was approached again, and it ordered an inquiry into the incident.
The accused policemen later moved the Supreme Court on August 31, 2012.