Case in Brief

Penumarthy Aparna aged 35 yrs belonging to Scheduled Caste resident of Nagulapalli village, Uppada Kothapalli Mandal of East Godavari District. Her father Mera Appala Rao and mother Mera Nukalu, both are agricultural workers. She was married in the year 1994 and has son. Her husband left her in the year 1995. She lived alone for 5 yrs and joined in the house of Penumarthy Prasad aged 55 yrs, brahmin by caste as domestic maid. Penumarthy Prasad has 3 children. His wife left him away by leaving the children with him. Gradually P. Prasad and Aparna developed intimacy and had sexual relation. She joined her son in the hostel on the advice of Prasad and they both married on 20/10/2000 at Nagulapalli. They stayed in Sarpavaram for 4 yrs and latter as he was transferred to Palakollu, they stayed there for 2 yrs. Further they stayed at Bikkavolu for some time as he was transferred. Latter he shifted her to Kakinada saying that he has been transferred to that place. He never turned out and she waited for one and half years. She faced many problems during this period, unable to pay the rent stayed in a small house and worked in Prawns Factory and searched for him. She went to his relatives and said that she had to give some money to Prasad and his relatives revealed his address. Thus she came to know that he was working at Perur village in Amalapuram Mandal. When the fact finding team met him, he showed some papers with Aparna’s signature and stated that he has divorced her. The victim lodged a complaint with the Sarpavaram PS and as they didn’t respond, she met the District Collector. 

 Intervention:

• DSS represented the issue to Collector, SP, DSP

Case in Brief

Socio – Economic and Political Background:

The Gurukul Girls High School is run by the state government and the students join the school once they secure necessary merit in the entrance test. The admissions are done on the basis of reservation system in accordance to the merit. Totally there are 578 students comprising of SCs, STs, OBCs and Other Castes. 90% are SC students. The school runs classes from 5th to Junior Intermediate. Since there is shortage of teachers, the management has appointed on contract basis and there are more than 20 teachers.  

Brief Summary of the Incident: 

Ranga Swamy principal of the school took Radha Sabhavat a tribal girl aged 15yrs, studying 10th standard to the hospital in Mehaboobnagar as she was sick. Having come to know that she is 6 months pregnant got her aborted. He dropped her in Mukthavenkatapuram with her grand mother as her parents have passed away and gave Rs 2,500/- and took a letter from her saying this was done with her consent.

One of the teachers was searching the suitcases of the students, which is done on routine basis and found a cell phone in the box of Devi Mudhavat a tribal girl. When asked she revealed that it was given on 6th Sep‘07 by Bala Krishna the telugu teacher working on contract basis. She revealed that Bala Krishna had sexually intercourse with her forcibly by threatening that if she reveals, he will sent her out by giving away Transfer Certificate. The principal sent Devi back to her parents at Mangampet. The principal even took a letter from her saying this was done with her consent. 

The students revealed that more than 15 girls were sexually assaulted. The students have complained that the previous principal Jyothi used to make some of the girls to sleep in her house, give them water mixed with some sedatives and then exploit them sexually. Some of the men teachers including Bala Krishna the telugu teacher and Jyothi’s husband were also involved in this series of sexual assaults. The sexual assaults have continued even during the tenure of the present principal Ranga Swamy. Neither food nor the facilities are proper here.  

DSS Intervention:

DSS conducted fact finding and given representations to the media and commissions.  Consequently, Jyothi, the ex-principal is suspended and present principal Ranga Swamy is transferred. FIR is registered on Jyothi and Social Studies teacher Ramulu.  The children are sent to Ankuram, child welfare home.  Compensation and rehabilitation is provided to the victims.  

Kumar S/o Palanivel belongs to dalit community, reside at Vellaiyampattu, Anadapuram police jurisdiction, Villupuram taluk, in villupuram District. Murugathal belongs to dalit community. The caste hindu people are in high ratio in this village. On 06.09.2007 Mr.Kumar S/o Palanivel was burutally assaulted by Mr.Pathirasala Gounder and his son Mr. Sivakumar belongs to Vanniyar community. Subsequently he had lodged a complaint in Anadapuram police station. Owing to this problem. Mr. Jeyaseelan Asst.Village Leader of Vellaiyampattu filed a false case against Mr.Kumar and his relative nearly 10members. In this juncture the caste Hindu people organized a village meeting on 17.09.2007. The significance of the date is the greatest leader Father Periyar’s Birthday who strongly condemn against the untouchability practices, Caste discrimination and superstitious belief of the people. On the same day the village leader declared that the “Dalit people were social boycotted”.

Subsiquently on 11.10.2007 Ms.Anjali W/o Raju had died after an ailing condition. Therefore the death news passing, beating the drums, digging a pit and making a death cot all these funeral ritual jobs were performed by the Vellaiyampattu dilit people. But on 11.10.2007 the Village leader Mr. Jeyaseelan S/o Mr. Balakrishna Gounder not allowed the dalit people to perform the funeral rituals. However the Dalit people did not withdraw the complaint, Henceforth the caste Hindu people invite the dalit people for the Puthukaruvatchi village to perform the menial jobs.

Eichery Village, Kelkudalur Panchayat, Nolambur post, Tindivanam Taluk, Villupuram District Mrs. Rani (42/07) Eichery Village Panchayat President belongs to dalit community reside at the above mentioned address with her husband Mr.Selvaraj who is working as the Head Master, Government Elementary School, in Senthamangalam village. She also had been served as Panchayat ward Member in the same pancahyat for last 5 years.

On 01.09.2007 Mrs. Rani has been involved in cleaning of the thorn with the help of Mr.Selvam (Dalit ward member)  by using J.C.P machine where the thons have grownup on the path towards the Graveyard and also the residential of Dalits. Mr.RAju belongs to Vanniyar caste resides near the Electric Post line told to Mr.SElvam to plug the thorns which are troubling the cable wire connection has comes to his house. Mr.Selvam replied that wer can’t do that because those thons are not in the public place. But Mr.Raju again and again insisted him to clean that thorn and told him that it’s only in my relative’s place, so I can convince him but you should clean this instead he has cleaned those thorns from the above mentioned place.

While they were cleaning that thorn Mr. Mohan belongs to the so called Vanniyar caste came and asked, “How did you clean thorns from my place? You Dalit dogs became more impudent after becoming Panchayat Leader. See what I am going to do” following this he has brutally assaulted the Panchayat ward member Mr.Selvam, torn his shirt and sent him away from that place. He ran away with frighten and rushed to  Mrs.Rani’s (Panchayat President) house and narrated the incident. She was listened the whole incident and she went to the Caste Hindus Street to meet the village leader to complaint about Mr.Mohan. But he replied that, “We also not able to control him and never obey us, so you do by your own.”

When Mrs.Rani was returning to her home, she was stopped and brutally assaulted by Mr.Mohan and his relatives namely Mr.Nahendran, Mr. Kanniyappan, Mr. Ramalingam and Mr. Ravi Kumar and they have pulled her saree and Mr. Mohan scolded her by using filthy words, “You Dalit prostitute dog, talking to much. I will cut your body part by pat and thrown it away bloody...,” and alsohe has put his hand on her shoulder, torn her blouse. She felt that she was lost her dignity and couldn’t bear the pain she went to ther Olakur Police station and lodge a complaint.

Suryakant Gayakwad is r/o Choudhari village, Vasti Kuruduwadi Post, under Kurudwadi in Solapur Dist. The victim belongs to Chambhar Community (SC). The victim owned a few decimal of cultivable land adjacent to land of a man belonging to dominant caste of the village. This was hurting his superiority that how a dalit can own land. Thus on 30/08/2007, when Suryakant Gayakwad was in the field, the perpetrator abused him in caste lines by saying that even your shadow defiles my field, so you need not come here, or else you will face its consequence.

A case was registered in Kurudwadi police staton on 03/09/2007 against the perpetrator as No.27/07, u/s 3(1)(x) of SC/ST (PoA) Act. Charge sheet in the case is not filed. Compensation is not paid to victim. All accused arrested & released on bail. The case is acquitted.