Vachathi brutality: HC junks officials’ pleas against conviction

The Madras High Court has dismissed appeals filed by forest, revenue, and police officials, who were convicted for rape and other crimes in the 1992 Vachathi brutality case. Justice P Velmurugan of Madras High Court dismissed all pleas appeals filed by government servants who were convicted of raping women, attacking men, and ransacking properties of villagers in Tamil Nadu’s tribal hamlet of Vachati. On June 20, 1992, a team of 269 government servants, including forest officials, police, and revenue officials, raided the tribal hamlet of Vachathi alleging that they were protecting notorious forest bandit Veerappan and to crack down on illegal felling and smuggling of sandalwood trees. During the raid, around 18 women were raped, men were brutally attacked and their properties were looted. The case was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The principal sessions court in Dharmapuri found the officials guilty of varied charges.