Chennai: A nondescript hamlet on the foothills of the Chitteri range of Eastern Ghats, Vachathi, erupted into jubilation with the bursting of crackers and distribution of sweets. The Malayali (hill) tribe of the village, 350 km from Chennai, have finally tasted justice in their long legal battle with Justice P Velmurugan of Madras High Court confirming the trial court judgment in the case pertaining to the horrendous mass rape, indiscriminate assault and plunder of the remote hamlet three decades ago.
The Chitteri range was then rich in sandalwood and under the pretext of recovering smuggled sandalwood, the forest, police, and revenue personnel carried out the raid, which resulted in wanton destruction on June 20, 1992. Neither women were spared of the lathi nor a single house was left without the scar of the atrocities. With the entire village forced to assemble under a banyan tree, 18 women, including a teen, were taken away and subjected to mass rape. But for the intervention and active support of the CPI(M), the brutality would not have come to light, and justice, though delayed, would not have been possible.
Dismissing the appeals of 126 forest officials, 84 police personnel, and 5 revenue officers, convicted and sentenced by the Dharmapuri District and Sessions Court, Justice Velmurugan also called for stringent action against the then Dharmapuri District Collector, Superintendent of Police, and District Forest Officer. Coincidentally, the judgment on the appeals was delivered on the same day that the trial court had pronounced its verdict in 2011.
After the raid, Vachathi turned into a ghost town and it was the late CPI(M)stalwart A Nallasivan who moved the Supreme Court to get the case investigated by the CBI. Initially, the Madras High Court had dismissed that plea, but on a direction from the apex court to hear the matter afresh, it gave the nod for a CBI probe. The Sessions court found 269 persons guilty but as many as 54 had died during the pendency of trial.
Also read: Vachathi atrocity: HC upholds conviction of over 200 persons, directs compensation for rape victims
Highly critical of the then Jayalalithaa government, Justice Velmurugan said the raid carried out on that fateful day was nothing but a ploy to protect the real sandalwood smugglers. “The then Collector of Dharmapuri District and the Revenue officials have not shown any interest in the matter and did not care about the seriousness of the issue. Even P.W 13 had given complaints to them prior to the raid regarding the smuggling of sandalwood by naming the persons. They have not taken any action against real sandalwood smugglers. In order to safeguard the actual smugglers and the big-shots, the revenue officials, police officials, and also forest officials, with the help of the then Government, played a big drama,” read the judgment. “Unfortunately, the then Government failed to protect the tribal women and it had only safeguarded erring officials and also failed to find out the real sandalwood smugglers,” the Judge observed.
Holding the state responsible, the Judge directed the government to “Pay Rs 10 lakhs immediately to each of the victims (of rape) directly to their accounts and if the victim is not alive, pay the compensation to the family members of the victim concerned and out of the Rs 10 lakhs, the Government shall recover 50% ie., Rs 5 lakhs from the accused, who have been convicted of the for the offence of rape on the 18 victims and report the same before this Court.”. Further, he ordered that the victims of their family members be provided suitable jobs either by self-employment or permanent jobs for their livelihood, destroyed by the then Government officials.
Earlier, on March 4 this year, the Judge visited Vachathi to personally inquire into the incident. He heard the men and women, including the rape victims besides ascertaining the basic facilities if any made available. It took a long time coming, but the people of Vachathi have finally got justice.
