Madras High Court dismissed the appeals by 215 forest, police and revenue officials on Friday against conviction for cruelty, rape and ransacking of Vachathi village in Dharampuri in 1992. The Court confirmed the sentencing ordered by the session court. Around 12 years ago, Dharmapuri Principal and Sessions court convicted all 269 accused personnel to different terms of imprisonment on September 29, 2011.
According to ANI, "Madras High Court dismisses all the appeals moved by 215 accused. The Court confirms the sentencing ordered by the sessions court and directs the Tamil Nadu government to provide Rs 10 lakhs as compensation to each victim and provide jobs to them."
In June 1992, 18 women from Vachathi, a tribal hamlet in Dharmapuri, were sexually violated and tortured on the grounds of a search for smuggled sandalwood and to collect information regarding sandalwood brigand Veerappan.
On June 20, 1992, a group of more than 250 personnel of Tamil Nadu forest and police departments entered Vachathi village vandalizing village property, demolishing homes and subjecting more than 100 villagers to physical assault. The officials took 18 women to a secluded place in the department vehicle, brutally raped and assaulted them.
In August of the same year, when the survivors tried to give a complaint the police, officials refused to take it and reportedly blamed the victims of making "false accusations".
20 years later, Dharmapuri Principal and Sessions court delivered a verdict in favor of the survivors. The court ordered to jail all 269 accused persons in the case. The court found the accused including four former IFS officers guilty and sentenced them to different terms of imprisonment.
However, the personnel challenged the order before the Madras High Court. Finally, after 12 years Madras HC has dismissed the petition. In the meantime, around 54 of the 269 accused died.
On March 4, 2023, Justice P Velmurugan of Madras HC visited Vachathi village before delivering the verdict.
Meanwhile, Director Vetrimaaran's film Viduthaalai: Part 1 is based on Vachathi case.