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In a long-awaited decision, the Madras High Court confirmed the conviction of all 269 government officials involved in the heinous incident that shook the nation 31 years ago. In 1992, 18 women, including a 13-year-old minor and an eight-month pregnant woman, were brutally raped in the tribal village of Vachathi in Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri district. The officials had conducted a raid under the false illusion of looking for sandalwood smugglers but instead subjected the villagers to unspeakable horrors.
Over the course of the trial, more than 50 accused people died, while others received sentences ranging from one to ten years from the sessions court in 2011. The Madras High Court recently upheld all of these convictions, stating, "To save actual smugglers and big shots, the officials played a big stage drama in which innocent tribal women got affected... the pain and difficulties they faced must be compensated in terms of money and jobs."
The case's presiding judge, Justice P Velmurugan, has ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay Rs 10 lakh in immediate compensation to each of the 18 victims. This directive is consistent with a previous order issued in 2016 by a division bench. Furthermore, Justice Velmurugan has mandated that the accused individuals recover 50% of the compensation. Furthermore, the state is required to provide victims or their family members with self-employment or permanent employment. "The state shall report to the court on measures taken to improve the livelihood and standard of living in Vachathi village following this incident," the judge stated emphatically."
The judge has also directed the sessions court to take immediate custody of all remaining accused individuals to serve the remainder of their sentences. In June 1992, government officials descended on Vachathi under the guise of investigating a sandalwood smuggling case. They had, however, committed a horrible crime. The case was later turned over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which charged 269 people, including four Indian Forest Service officers.
This landmark judgment is a belated but critical step toward justice for the victims and their families, as well as a stark reminder of the importance of upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of society's most vulnerable members.
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