Letter on rapes by Salwa Judum, SPOs and security force personnel in Chhattisgarh
By Nandini Sundar
Dear friends
The salwa judum, SPOs and security forces committed many rapes in Chhatisgarh. But the BJP govt in the state and the congress ruled centre have been busy defending the SPOs. In one case, where a girl summoned up the courage to report it to the trial court, the SP Dantewara said he has asked the accused, they had denied it, and therefore the matter was closed. This must be the most pro-rapist police administration in the country, where they kindly ask the accused if they have committed a rape.
The Samsetti rapes (see Hindu front page, 29.12.12) and the fact that the Chhattisgarh Government is defending the SPOs involved have also been repeatedly brought up in the Supreme Court. On 25 April 2011 in front of the bench, Mr. Harish Salve, appearing for Chhattisgarh, asked for a list of the SPOs who had been charged by the trial court in the rape case. No action has been taken, and they have been promoted to constables, and given better guns and more money. They are going around terrorising the girls.
We have been repeatedly asking for a monitoring committee to ensure that at least FIRs on rapes and murders are filed, but this was repeatedly stalled by the Congress ruled Centre and the BJP ruled State.
In March 2011, the security forces and SPOs raped women in Tadmetla and Morpalli. IN July 2011, the Supreme Court ordered the CBI to investigate the case and report within six weeks. The CBI went only six months later in Jan 2012, but in February 2012 they were attacked by SPOs and have not returned since. Almost two years have passed since the rapes, murder and arson took place. The rape victims have got no justice, even though they bravely gave their testimonies to the CBI despite the presence of a large number of CRPF men, and some of the accused SPOs/district forces.
Many other testimonies of rape were sent by the NCPCR and women’s fact-finding teams to the NHRC, and also submitted to NCW. Predictably, the NCW which is now demanding castration of rapists, did nothing on these petitions.
Who will raise the demand for justice to all these women?