All party committee seeks justice for tribal women

Vijayawada, Aug 30 (UNI) Members of an All Party Committee, formed to condemn the alleged gang rape of 11 tribal women at Vakapalli in Visakhapatnam agency area sought justice by arresting the people responsible for the heinous crime, besides grant of compensation to the victims.

In a memorandum submitted to the Sub-Collector here last evening, the members demanded that the probe into the case be handed over to the CBI and the accused be arrested after they were made to parade before the 'victims' for identification,.

The memorandum also insisted that Rs ten lakh compensation be granted to each of the victims and cases be registered against Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police(DGP) M A Basith and Visakhapatnam District Superintendent of Police Akun Sabharwal for allegedly trying to shield the culprits.

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

Recalling the incident, the members said the greyhounds personnel had entered the village in the early hours of August 20 after their men left for fields. The women were busy in household work 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.

The members said investigation was yet to begin even after a week of registration of the case.

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

UNI