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We shine a spotlight on the 12 year ongoing legal battle of Kondh adivasi women of Vakapalli, Andhra Pradesh who were raped by the personnel of “Greyhounds” anti-naxal force of the state in 2007
This is their story
#VakapalliRapes #AdivasiWomen #AdivasiLivesMatter
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20th August 2007: 11 Kondh adivasi women in Vakapalli village in G Madugula mandal, an agency area in Visakhapatnam distr, were raped at gunpoint by 21 personnel of Greyhound, an elite anti-naxal force of AP, while the men were away in the fields
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“It was around 6 a.m. 21 police personnel, without any provocation pulled some of us into the huts and others into the turmeric fields and started raping us at gunpoint”, recounted a victim to The Hindu.
#VakapalliRapes #AdivasiWomen #AdivasiLivesMatter
#TriggerWarning
An FIR was lodged under Sections 376 (ii) (g) IPC (gang rape) and section 3 (2) (V) of the SC ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act) 1989.
#VakapalliRapes #AdivasiWomen #AdivasiLivesMatter
April 2008: CB-CID gave a clean chit to the accused policemen. Victims filed a protest petition before the Paderu Magisterial court asking for a trial, which was accepted. Accused policemen approached the AP High Court to get a stay.
#VakapalliRapes #AdivasiLivesMatter
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April 2012: AP High court ordered criminal proceedings for gang rape to continue against 13 policemen while acquitting 8 on grounds of being a part of the contour party only. The 13 accused approached the Supreme Court for a stay of the HC order.
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The Director General of Police at the time, MA Basit called the allegations of rape baseless and a ploy by Maoists to discourage the police from carrying out combing operations in the agency areas.
vizaginfo.com/vnews/2007/aug…
#VakapalliRapes #AdivasiWomen
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“Police have been intimidating us for our protest against dams and SEZs. They say policemen will continue the rapes and no one will be able to stop them” Rama Rao Dora of Adivasi Mukti Sangathana.
#VakapalliRapes #AdivasiWomen #AdivasiLivesMatter
September 2017: Supreme Court ordered a speedy trial at the Special Court constituted to handle SC /ST Atrocities Act in Visakhapatnam. HC granted the victims demand of the choice of their Public Prosecutor, guaranteed under the POA Act
#VakapalliRapes #AdivasiWomen
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Feb 2019: The trial into the Vakapalli rapes began in the special court for SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Visakhapatnam. It is ongoing and 2 of the victims have since then died.
#VakapalliRapes #AdivasiWomen #AdivasiLivesMatter
#TriggerWarning
“Meanwhile the women have faced social stigma despite the support for legal action. Women who faced keedu (harm) are separated from their families and not allowed into their homes until the perpetrators of the crime are brought to justice.”
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“My son had not yet learned how to walk when he was separated from me, and fed porridge instead of milk.”, recounted a victim to @ayesha_minhaz of Scroll.
#VakapalliRapes #AdivasiWomen #AdivasiLivesMatter
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Sources: The Hindu, Scroll, Human Rights Law Network Independent Tribunal Report on State Terrorism
thehindu.com/news/cities/Vi…
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