Police action against advocate flayed

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Human Rights Forum (HRF) and several functionaries of women’s and civil rights organisations have deplored the action of police against Rajamahendravaram senior advocate P Trinadha Rao whom the tribal women victims of the Vakapalli gang-rape case wanted as the special public prosecutor.At a news conference at VJF here on Friday, HRF leader VS Krishna and women’s and civil rights organisations strongly condemned filing of a case under Section 108 of the CrPC against Trinadha Rao. “This is a concocted, false case and is clearly a malicious attempt to intimidate and discredit Trinadha Rao,” said Krishna.

It may be recalled that Trinadha Rao had been sought by the victims to be appointed as special public prosecutor in the case of the alleged rape of 11 tribal women of Vakapalli by Greyhounds police personnel on August 20, 2007. The case is presently in the SC, ST (POA) Special Court in Visakhapatnam and the trial schedule has been fixed for January 4. Meanwhile, the victims had moved the High Court seeking appointment of Trinadha Rao as special public prosecutor. The matter has been posted to January 2. 

According to the HRF and women’s organisations, Trinadha Rao, accompanied by a journalist, was proceeding to Vakapalli from Paderu on Friday. Police personnel stopped his car, seized all his papers and his mobile phone and took him into custody after planting a cover containing photographs of the Vakapalli case accused in the car. Trinadha Rao was taken to G Madugula police station and a case under Section 108 of the CrPC was registered against him and he was also made to sign on a bond paper.

“This is appalling. This is nothing but a brazen and unlawful attempt by police to undermine the efforts by the victims to have him as the special PP. We urge the senior police officials and the government to restrain police from such dirty tricks,” said VS Krishna and other HRF representatives.  T Srirama Murthy, Lalitha, Bhaskar Rao, Lakshmi and Sudha from HRF, Mahila Chetna, POW, CMS along with other representatives from AIDWA and Mahila Samakhya also protested. 

Meanwhile, AP Police Officers Association, Visakhapatnam Rural district, released a note claiming that Trinadha Rao was found with original photos of the accused Greyhounds personnel during the vehicle check and in suspicious situation, he was arrested by the Visakhapatnam Rural Police under the Section 108 of the CrPC. Later, he was produced in Paderu MRO Court. 

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