According to new reports, the notorious Greyhound police force in Andhra Pradesh, charged with responsibility of suppressing Naxalites, has carried out mass rape of women in Vizakhapatnam district on August 20, 2007.

The cold blooded planned nature of this attack is revealed in that the entire act was carried out with the precision of a military operation from 6 AM in the morning, when the menfolk of Vakapalli village were away in the fields. About 30 policemen belonging to the Greyhound unit entered the tribal village and began gang raping the women at gun point. The atrocities continued till about 8 am., after which the policemen left the village.

After news of the atrocity was aired on TV, the Director General of Police Mr Basith stated from Hyderabad that the police were innocent and that “Maoists” had provoked the women to make these allegations so as to undermine the morale of the police, as they wanted to put a halt to the combing operations by the ‘Greyhounds’ in the region. The same dirty lie was repeated by the State Home Minister Jana Reddy. The district police have done virtually nothing after lodging the FIR – there has been no investigation, no attempt to bring the culprits belonging to the notorious ‘Greyhound’ police squads to book.

Women are being specially targeted by the police forces so that they and the community they belong to do not dare to fight for their rights. Peoples Voice condemns the atrocities heaped on the Adivasi women in Vishakapatnam district and demands that the perpetrators of the heinous crimes be brought to justice at once.