Activist seeking justice for raped adivasi women booked

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, November 27 

Prominent human rights activist VS Krishna, who has been pursuing justice for 11 Adivasi women allegedly raped at gun point by the elite anti-Naxal police force in Andhra Pradesh — the Greyhounds, has been booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Sedition, Arms Act and several other charges.

Krishna was booked after Visakhapatnam rural police in Andhra Pradesh accused him of being a Maoist and coercing the rape survivors into “falsely testifying” against the Greyhounds personnel.

The rapes took place in 2007 and Krishna has been fighting for justice for the women ever since.

Known as the Vakapalli rape incident, 13 Greyhounds personnel raided the Vakapalli hamlet, a tribal agency area under Nurmati panchayat in Visakhapatnam, and allegedly raped 11 Adivasi women belonging to the Kondh tribe.

Ever since, several civil rights activists, including Krishna, have been seeking justice and finally a trial commenced in 2019 and is currently being held in a SC/ST Special Court in Visakhapatnam.

It is alleged by human rights activists that Krishna has been arrested so that the trial cannot be completed.