Kujota village is located 25 kilometers from the District headquarter Jaipur. This village is full of Meena (Scheduled Tribe) community and agriculture is their main occupation. The situation of Dalit families is very poor and they are dependent on daily wages for their livelihood. Anu Bai, daughter of Maman Meena has been living in Kujota village with her family and studying in class 8^th.  Anu’s father used to have alcohol. One day on August 25^th , 2007 she was going to her school, on the way at the bus stand, Deepak Meena, Rakesh Meena and his friend came to her and coaxed her by telling that her maternal grandmother is not well and asked her to come with them as they were going there. Believing them as they were known to her (as one of them is her relative), Anu sat with them in Car. On the way they offered her a cold drink, as soon as Anu had the drink she fell unconscious. The accused took her somewhere, kept her confined and raped her for five days.

After five days they dropped her at Kotputali bus stand and escaped. Somehow Anu reached her home and narrated the whole incident to her uncle. Then her uncle went to the Police station and lodged an FIR against the accused. After registering FIR, police started the investigation of the case but as the accused were from the same community and her relative too, their own community people started pressurizing Anu’s family to withdraw the case and come to compromise. Anu’s family is not very rich and powerful. On August 30, 2007 the Local Police of Kotputli registered the FIR No – 554/07 under section 363, 376(2) (g) Indian Penal Code 1860 and started investigation of the case. But the local police failed to provide safety and security to Anu and her family which finally turned into compromise.

Apart from the social pressure the police and administration officers, also persuaded the victim and her family not to pursue the case and to compromise with the perpetrators in lieu of some monetary relief. The victim was so helpless that she could not withstand the pressure extended on her from all corners; by her own community, relatives and also from the police

In the beginning, all the villagers supported Anu and her family to come forward against the wrong. Some organizations also came forward to support them, but as soon as her community leaders started pressurizing them they all pulled their hands back and let them on their destiny which resulted in compromise.

 Anu’s family is very poor and her father is habitual of liquor. On the other hand the accused and their families are quite dominant and rich. When they came to know that Anu with the help of her uncle have lodged an FIR against them at Kothputli Police station, they rushed at her home and tried to persuade her family with all means either by pressure from community or with money. They offered some money to them to compromise in account of her dignity. Initially Anu and her family denied to compromise and confirmed to continue legal action against them. When the accused failed to convince them to compromise, they asked their community leaders for convincing them. The leaders and they all pressurized Anu and her family to change her statement in court. They started threatening her. At last due to pressure of their community members, they decided to change their statement before the Magistrate and compromised with the accused besides Anu’s plea to take appropriate action against the wrong doers who spoiled her whole life and made her to live with this stigma that she had been raped.

Case in Brief

Papagalla Shailaja, aged 16 years, D/o Papagalla Paparayudu, resident of Harijanawada, Gurrampadu village, Chennuru mandal, Kadapa district belongs to SC Madiga caste.  She has completed her 10th standard 2 years back and is staying at home.  Her parents work as agricultural labourers.  Due to financial problems, her parents have taken loan from a financer Mundliri Gangadhar Reddy, aged 40 years resident of Nazeerbaig Palle, Chennuru mandal, OC Reddy by caste.  Shailaja’s parents delayed in repaying the debt and Gangadhara Reddy has been pressurizing them for payment.  

On 22nd August 2007, as her father was sick, Shailaja went to Nazeerbaig Palle to get breakfast for him.  While Shailaja was returning to her home, at around 07:30 a.m. , Gangadhara Reddy stopped her near Ramulori Bavi and asked her from where she was coming.  She said that her father is sick and she is taking break fast for him.  He caught her hand and pulled her towards him and tried to rape her.  She somehow managed to escape and went to her home.  As her father is sick and mother went out on work, she did not reveal the incident to anyone.  When her mother returned from work at 07:30 p.m., she narrated everything to her.  Immediately Shailaja’s mother went to Gangadhara Reddy’s house in Nazeerbaig Palle and questioned him about the incident.  He threatened and abused her in the name of caste saying “Amey Madiga lanje, ee vishayam avarikaina chepte meeru oorlo undaleru.  Mimmalnandarini champutaanu” (You Madiga bitch, if you reveal this to any one, you can’t stay in the village.  I will kill you all). 

Shailaja’s parents complained in the Chennuru Police Station at around 9:30 p.m. and an FIR No. 88/07 was registered on 22nd August 2007 u/s 354 of IPC and 3(1)(x) of SC/ST (PoA) Act.  

DSS Intervention:

• DSS conducted fact finding and approached the police officials.  
• DSS represented the case to the commissions for inclusion of sections and payment of compensation.  

Case in Brief

78 tribal families live in Vakapalli village of Madugula Mandal in Visakhapatnam district. The men in the village went for work in the agricultural fields early in the morning by 4am in the morning of the day of incident. Around 6am on 20th of August’07, 24 policemen on combing duty entered the village and started searching saying that 2 naxalites were in the village. They were also asking the tribal women for the whereabouts of Suryam a former naxalite since for the past few days. Since the police did not get the desired reply, they caught hold of 11 women including Sridevi wife of Suryam and dragged some into huts, some into nearby turmeric fields and some into the bushes and raped them. The remaining women fled away on to the mountain, etc. Pieces of bangles and damaged turmeric plants were seen in place of occurrence. Sridevi who gave birth to a baby recently was raped in her house itself. The police went into the house of a women working in Velugu, tore all the books, displaced all furniture and searched for naxalite literature. 

Knowing the information some of the men returned to the village around 9am and caught hold of 2 policemen and they escaped by pleading them. One man said that if I would have caught them I would have cut their legs. The village sarpanch Raja Rao went to the Madugula Police Station along with MLA Sri.L.Raja Rao including the victims and lodged a complaint. 

The total area is under tense situation and by seeing the organizations coming in four wheelers the people were under the fear that the police are again coming.    

State Women Rights Forum/DSS organized a press meet, signature campaign with 43 organizations and submitted a memorandum to the Governor.   

The victims sat for indefinite hunger strike from 24th September 2007.  SWRF expressed solidarity with the victims.  After 5 days, as the SP gave the assurance to take action as per their demands, the victims called off their strike on 28th September 2007. 

Present Status of the Case:             

• Writ petition filed in AP High Court.

Case in Brief

Doolapalli Nagamani, aged 32 years, SC-B by caste got married to Doolapalli Appa Rao, aged 35 years, SC-B by caste.  They have two children.  Appa Rao does not do any work.  He always drinks and harasses his wife and children.  Nagamani got tired of his cruel harassment. D.Govindu, aged 35 years, BC Setti Balija by caste exploited this situation and gradually developed physical relation with Nagamani.  He lured her saying that they can lead a happy life if she agrees to elope with him.  

On 13th August 2007, he succeeded in convincing Nagamani to come with him and took her to the agricultural fields in the village out skirts.  He planned to take her to Bangalore on 15th August 2007.  Meanwhile, Govindu’s brother-in-laws registered a case u/s 494 of IPC on Govindu.  They planned to get rid of Nagamani and took police to the fields.  There they forcefully made Nagamani to consume pesticide in front of everyone and then took her to hospital saying that she attempted suicide.  As they intentionally delayed medical help to her, she died of poisoning.  Before dying she said that she was forcefully made to consume poison.  

After her death, funeral was conducted to her body according to Hindu traditions, as Govindu’s wife.  Later, coming to know about the incident, her husband Appa Rao intimated to the local media about the atrocity.  He also approached various organizations. 

DSS Intervention:

DSS has conducted the fact finding.  When the team approached the family of the victim, they were not ready to complain against the accused as they were threatened of drastic consequences.  They were also offered money for compromise. The police have not even registered an FIR.  No one is ready to stand as witness to this atrocity due to fear.