Vakapalli gang-rape case: HC reserves order on appointing SPP

HYDERABAD:  The State High Court, on Friday, reserved its order to December 27 on a petition filed by the victims of Vakapalli gang rape incident, who sought directions to the AP government to appoint special public prosecutor and assistant prosecutor to try the case before the special court in Visakhapatnam.

Justice M Seetharama Murti dealing with a petition filed by nine victims of gang-rape belonging to tribal community sought direction to the AP government to appoint prosecutors to conduct the trial before the 11th additional district sessions judge-cum-special court under the SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Visakhapatnam against the 13 Greyhounds personnel of the elite anti-naxal force of AP.

The petitioners’ counsel Vasudha Nagaraj told the court that they had filed an application to implead the principal secretary of home department as party to the petition in view of the objections raised by the AP government counsel during the last hearing. While recalling the state counsel’s contention that home secretary was the competent authority to appoint prosecutors and that the petitioners had not made the principal secretary a party to the petition,” the counsel said.

Nagaraj said that they had also submitted application to the secretary to appoint the prosecutors. The counsel for AP urged the court to grant some time. While refusing to grant time, the judge reminded that the Supreme Court had ordered for completion of trial within six months and posted the case for orders to Dec 27.