The Andhra Pradesh government and the police have challenged the orders of the single Judge appointing P. Thrinadha Rao as Special Public Prosecutor to argue the case registered against Greyhounds personnel, wherein they are facing allegation that they outraged the modesty of a tribal woman at Vakapalli in Visakhapatnam district. The appeals are likely to be taken up on Monday.
A Division Bench of the Hyderabad High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice K. Vijaya Lakshmi was dealing with the appeal filed by the government. The advocate appearing on behalf the police said that 13 accused police personnel have also filed an appeal and requested both be taken up together. It may be recalled that the Greyhounds personnel are charged with outraging the modesty of tribal women in this remote forest agency area of Visakhapatnam district in August 2007.
The women have been knocking the doors of the courts seeking registration of a criminal case and prosecuting the officers in a court of law. The SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 provides for the victims to choose a person as Special Public Prosecutor. They requested the government to appoint P. Thrinadha Rao who is an expert in tribal rights and practising advocate. They approached the High Court and the single Judge directed the government to appoint Dr. Rao as Special Public Prosecutor. This judgment is being challenged in these two writ appeals.
