HYDERABAD:A division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Thursday directed the Registrar General of the court to submit a list of six senior advocates — three each from AP and Telangana — to it for the purpose of appointing one among them as special public prosecutor (SPP) to argue the victims’ case in the Vakapalli gangrape case before the 11th Additional District Sessions Judge-cum-Special Court.
The case was filed under the SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Visakhapatnam against 13 Greyhounds personnel who were accused in the Vakapalli gangrape case.
The bench comprising Justice CV Nagarjuna Reddy and Justice G Shyam Prasad was passing this direction in appeals filed separately by the AP government and 13 Greyhounds personnel against an order of a single judge who directed the Andhra Pradesh government to appoint advocate P Trinadh Rao as SPP to argue the victims’ case.
AP government counsel Vidyavathi submitted that the victims have to select one as SPP from the panel of advocates prepared by the State. It was not proper for the single judge to pass an order contrary to it by appointing a person who was suggested by the victims for the SPP post. In fact, before getting appointed to the SPP post, Trinadh Rao went to Vakapalli area along with photos of the accused police personnel and that a case was registered against him, hence he should not be appointed to the said post, she argued.
Reacting to these submissions, the bench asked the GP what was wrong if Trinadh Rao carries the photos of the accused to Vakapalli. How the police could see it as a crime? The police were overenthusiastic in registering a case against the advocate, the bench observed.
Advocate Vasudha Nagaraj, appearing for the victims, told the court that Trinadh Rao can be appointed as SPP as per the request of the victims. In fact, Trinadh Rao was fully aware of the traditions and language of the tribals and appointing him as SPP would do justice to the victims’ case. The bench reminded that the State government has got the power to appoint a person for SPP post. The bench said after getting the list of six senior advocates from the Registrar General, the court would ask the victims to choose one from the list. Further, a direction would also be given facilitating Trinadh Rao to assist the person who will get appointed as SPP on behalf of the victims. The bench adjourned the case hearing by one week.
On August 20, 2007, 11 tribal women of Vakapalli village in Nurmati panchayat of G Madugula mandal in the agency area of Visakhapatnam district were allegedly gangraped by the 21 Greyhounds personnel. Out of the 21 accused, eight names were deleted from the case following the High Court order in 2012. When the 13 accused approached the Supreme Court seeking to quash the case, their plea was dismissed in September, with a direction to the trial court to complete the trial within six months.
Meanwhile, the victims made a representation to the authorities seeking to appoint special public prosecutor (SPP) and assistant public prosecutor (APP) to prosecute their case before the trial court. When there was no response from the concerned authorities, they moved the High Court.