'I want to become a cop and save women from atrocities', Telangana rape survivor

Three men allegedly raped Parijatha on February 10 but she is determined to fight for justice.
'I want to become a cop and save women from atrocities', Telangana rape survivor
'I want to become a cop and save women from atrocities', Telangana rape survivor
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Although the media now refer to her as the Veenavanka rape case, Parijatha (name changed) is more than that. The trauma has not overwhelmed her fighting spirit.

Three men allegedly raped Parijatha (19) on February 10 but she is determined to fight for justice.

Parijatha was pursuing a course in engineering but was forced to drop out in her second year due to financial problems. However, in January, The Telangana Police announced vacancies for the post of constables. Parijatha saw this is a chance to realise her childhood dream of joining the police force and signed up for coaching classes at Veenavanka Mandal Coaching Centre for Police Selections.

“It was around 1:30 pm on February 10. My friend was looking for a few books which we were not available in our town so our batch mate Srinivas offered to take us to Shankarapatnam (neighbouring town), where these books would be available, on their bikes,” she said.

G Srinivas and another accused Muddam Anjaiah had earlier claimed that they were minors. Police cross-verification of their records however, disproved their claims.

“We used to call G Srinivas ‘brother’ as we trusted him and went on his bike. But on the way to Shankarapatnam we jumped off from his bike because we saw two men following us on another bike. Luckily my friend escaped, but unfortunately I couldn’t as I was surrounded by them. The three of them raped and filmed me.”

Parijatha said her friend managed to get a lift from a two-wheeler rider and escaped. After reaching home, she called the jurisdictional sub-inspector Kiran from her mobile phone and informed him of the situation. “But the Sub Inspector who was on security duty for Medaram Jathra took the call casually,” she said.

Her mother alleges that the police didn’t take immediate action against the accused.

“My husband earns Rs 200 a day. We are very poor. We live in a single room, and face many difficulties and financial problems but we educated our children. We never imagined that our daughter would become a victim of such a horrible incident. They (accused) can buy their way out of this, but we can’t even afford to fight (for justice).”   

She says that it was even more painful that there was a video of the incident.

Based on the petition filed by the Congress Party on Thursday, Scheduled Castes Commission summoned both Karimnagar SP and the District Collector. The commission assured that justice would be done to Parijatha and that the accused would be punished. They said the hearing would be completed within three months through a fast-track court. The commission also said she would be provided a permanent job as a constable.

“I want them to be hanged. Unless there is immediate action or punishment against them, rapists will have no fear of law,” she said.

Parijatha added, “I may not be able to continue the classes but I will definitely join the job which the SC commission has promised to provide. If I get a constable’s job, I will fight against such criminals and will try to save women from such atrocities.”

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