State president of Telugu Mahila, the women’s wing of the TDP, Vangalapudi Anitha has written letters to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) about the alleged atrocities and violent attacks on women and Dalits in Andhra Pradesh, and the alleged rape of a minor Dalit girl and ‘inaction’ of the police.
Ms. Anitha, in the letters on Friday, urged the NCSC and the NCW to take cognisance of the atrocities and initiate the necessary action. Referring to the alleged rape of a minor in East Godavari district, Ms. Anitha alleged the 16-year-old was taken by her neighbour to Rajahmundry in an autorickshaw on the pretext of getting her a job.
“The victim’s mother lodged a police complaint on July 13 alleging that her daughter was missing and raised suspicion on the neighbour. On July 16, an unknown person dropped the victim near Korukonda Police Station. The minor told the police that she left home out of anger as her mother beat her up. On July 17, the victim fell ill and was admitted to hospital. Her mother told the media about the atrocity committed on her daughter,” she stated in the letter.
Fact-finding team
Based upon the media reports, many Dalit associations in the State formed a fact-finding committee. During the visit of the committee, the minor informed the members that she was threatened by the police and forced to give a statement that she left the house on her own, Ms. Anitha said and alleged that a section of the police were in connivance with the perpetrators.
“I appeal to the NCSC to intervene and ensure that such incidents would not recur,” she said in the letter.