Binoy Valsan, TNN | Sep 29, 2011, 02.06PM IST
DHARMAPURI: A Dharmpauri sessions court in north Tamil Nadu on Thursday pronounced its verdict, holding all 215 accused guilty of atrocities against the Vachathi tribes who live in the hill ranges in the district. The much-awaited judgment was delivered by sessions judge S Kumaraguru in a jam-packed court hall where all the 215 accused and the 100-odd victims were present. The court will resume at 2.30 pm when the judge will pronounce the sentences for all the accused.
The CBI had investigated the case in which tribals accused forest and police personnel of raping and torturing them during the Veerappan operation by the forest and police personnel in June 1992. The tribals said they were picked up under the guise of questioning during the operation to nab Veerappan and some of the women were raped and the men tortured for information about the dreaded sandalwood bandit's whereabouts. Later the operations by a special task force took over and it went on for many years until 2004 when Veerappan was shot dead.
At 11 am on Thursday, the district sessions court delivered its judgement even as the small court room was crowded with the accused, victims, representatives of human rights organisations and mediapersons. At least nine police and forest personnel have been held guilty for rape while all the accused have been charged under various IPC sections for rape, torture and other human rights violations as well as sections under the SC/ST Act.
The long-pending case had come under the scanner of the National Human Rights Commission and media spotlight as Tamil Nadu-based human rights organisations stepped up protests against the inordinate delay. In fact, the verdict was to be delivered on Monday, but the court postponed it as three of the accused were not present. They later surrendered before the court which fixed Thursday for delivering what could be a landmark judgement. Fifty-four of the 269 accused and chargesheeted by the CBI died during the course of the trial.
Link: Tamil Nadu: All 269 accused found guilty in Vatchathi rape case
Link: 1992 Vachati mass rape case: 215 forest personnel held guilty, nine for rape
The CBI had investigated the case in which tribals accused forest and police personnel of raping and torturing them during the Veerappan operation by the forest and police personnel in June 1992. The tribals said they were picked up under the guise of questioning during the operation to nab Veerappan and some of the women were raped and the men tortured for information about the dreaded sandalwood bandit's whereabouts. Later the operations by a special task force took over and it went on for many years until 2004 when Veerappan was shot dead.
At 11 am on Thursday, the district sessions court delivered its judgement even as the small court room was crowded with the accused, victims, representatives of human rights organisations and mediapersons. At least nine police and forest personnel have been held guilty for rape while all the accused have been charged under various IPC sections for rape, torture and other human rights violations as well as sections under the SC/ST Act.
The long-pending case had come under the scanner of the National Human Rights Commission and media spotlight as Tamil Nadu-based human rights organisations stepped up protests against the inordinate delay. In fact, the verdict was to be delivered on Monday, but the court postponed it as three of the accused were not present. They later surrendered before the court which fixed Thursday for delivering what could be a landmark judgement. Fifty-four of the 269 accused and chargesheeted by the CBI died during the course of the trial.
Link: Tamil Nadu: All 269 accused found guilty in Vatchathi rape case
Link: 1992 Vachati mass rape case: 215 forest personnel held guilty, nine for rape
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