Yet another year has passed by, and the wait for justice has only become longer for the Dalits of Venkatayapalem.
In all, five youth, including three Dalits, had been subjected to harassment allegedly by upper caste people of the village. Two of them had allegedly been tonsured on the night of December 29, 1996.
The victims have been continuing their fight for the last 21 years despite several hurdles in the hope that justice would prevail at the end of the trial.
At a time when the Special Court was about to deliver its verdict during the second week of December, the victims were forced to approach the High Court to prove their caste identity.
As a result, the hearing was adjourned for yet another time, prompting the activists of Dalit and human rights organisations, along with like-minded political outfits, to stage agitations in different forms demanding that action be taken against the accused.
“As one of the cases against the accused is under the provisions of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the prosecution sought caste identity of the victims. Though the victims promptly submitted the documents, the special public prosecutor failed to submit the same in the court,” alleges V.S. Krishna, secretary of the Human Rights Forum (HRF), the organisation that has been extending its support to the victims ever since the incident came to the light.
“We are literally waging a war to get justice,” says one of the victims, Challapudi Pattabhiramaiah (44).
“Even as the issue of non-submission of caste certificate is pending with the court, a fresh charge has been framed against us stating that we have converted into Christianity. An inquiry by the district administration is in progress,” he explains.
Faith in judiciary
A graduate in law from Andhra University, Mr. Pattabhiramaiah expresses complete faith in the judiciary, but is apprehensive about the money and muscle power of the accused.
“The prime accused and MLA from Ramachandrapuram Tota Trimurthulu has been making all efforts to single us out from the rest of the village ever since the first trial commenced in 1997. We are, however, becoming stronger to take the fight to its logical end,” he says. One accused and 13 of the 24 witnesses passed away in the last 21 years. The prime accused has once again been elected MLA of the ruling TDP. “Justice should not be delayed further,” says Mr. Krishna, exuding confidence that the verdict would be out by the end of January 2018.
