Trial court adjourns first Vakapalli gangrape hearing to January 25

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Judge of the 11th Additional District Sessions Judge-cum-special Court under the SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Visakhapatnam has adjourned the first hearing of the Vakapalli gangrape case to January 25.

According to sources, the hearing was scheduled for Thursday but later adjourned as the court had not received any written communication on the appointment of the public prosecutor of the victims’ choice.
Eleven tribal women from Vakapalli in Nurmati panchayat of G  Madugula mandal in Vizag Agency were allegedly gangraped by 21 anti-Naxal force Greyhounds personnel on August 20, 2007.

Earlier, the victims had filed a petition in the Hyderabad High Court seeking appointment of a public prosecutor of their choice. On January 5,  the High Court directed the Andhra Pradesh government to appoint advocate P Trinadh Rao as a special public prosecutor to argue the case, making it clear that the process of the appointment of Rao should be completed in a week.

Visakhapatnam Collector Pravin Kumar was also directed to appoint Rao as the special public prosecutor, but the official communication was yet to be received by the local court which adjourned the first hearing.