Date:30/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/30/stories/2007083055380600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

All-party panel seeks justice for tribal women

Staff Reporter

Submits memorandum to Sub-Collector

Rs. 10 lakh compensation for victims demanded
Dharna staged at Lenin centre

VIJAYAWADA: Members of an all-party committee, formed to condemn the alleged gang rape of 11 adivasi women at Vakapalli in the Visakhapatnam agency area on Wednesday, demanded immediate arrest of those responsible for the heinous crime and grant of compensation to the victims.

In a memorandum submitted to the Sub-Collector, the members demanded that the probe into the case be handed over to the CBI, the accused be arrested after they were made to parade before the ‘victims’ for identification, Rs. 10 lakh compensation be granted to each of the victims and cases be registered against DGP M.A. Basith and Visakhapatnam district SP Akun Sabharwal ‘for trying to shield the culprits’.

Dharna staged

The members earlier staged a dharna at Lenin Centre and raised slogans against the ‘barbaric’ act allegedly committed by the Greyhounds personnel. A protest rally that followed the dharna reached the Sub-Collector’s office where a memorandum was submitted.

The committee was represented by members of the Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samakhya, the All India Democratic Women’s Association, the Telugu Mahila, the Progressive Organisation of Women, the Stree Vimukthi Sangathan, the Bezawada Bar Association, the Jana Vignana Vedika, the All India Youth Federation, the Telugu Yuvatha, the Progressive Democratic Students’ Union, the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee, the Organisation for Protection of Democratic Rights and the Human Rights Forum.

Recalling the incident, the members said that the Greyhounds personnel had entered the village in the early hours of August 20 after the men left for fields.The women were busy in household chores when they were attacked and raped, they alleged. To add to the woes of victims, the village elders placed them under social boycott and forced them to stay away from their young children. Ten of the 11 victims were in the age group of 20 to 30 years while one of them was 45 years of age.They said investigation was yet to begin even after a week of registration of the case. Neither had the investigation officials visited the place of offence.

The members accused the police officials of trying to hush up the case and demanded their immediate suspension.