Vakapalli gang rape case: Special public prosecutor alleges deliberate delay

Visakhapatnam: In another development in the Vakapalli gang rape case, the public prosecutor of Special Court for SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act sought more details in regards to the case. He requested the duty chart of the police personnel involved in the alleged rape of 11 tribal women in Vakapalli, Visakhapatnam agency. He also sought details on the arms provided to them on the day of the incident.

The Armed Reserve Police and Paderu police stations have been directed to provide the details as the Special Court resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday. Special public prosecutor Sunkari Rajendra Prasad said this evidence would throw light on the movements of the accused policemen on the day of the crime. The Special Sessions Judge OV Nageswar Rao directed the Reserve Inspector and the Station House Officer of the Paderu police station to produce these records.

For the last three hearings, the Reserve Inspector and the Paderu SHO have been reporting to the Court that they could not trace the relevant registers. During the hearing on Tuesday, the Reserve Inspector produced only the Arms Issue Register to the Court.

Rajendra Prasad argued that the police are deliberately delaying the production of registers. He added that the Police Standing Orders mandates the maintenance of these registers and that they cannot be destroyed.

Justice Nageswar Rao directed both Reserve Inspector and the SHO Paderu to pay attention to the matter and to trace the registers by January 2, 2020. The judge also pointed out that since it’s not their case that the records are destroyed, they should double their efforts to trace them and submit them to the Court. The Court adjourned the case to January 2, 2020.