The Vakapalli gang rape case took a sensational turn here on Thursday, when the judge noticed that the material evidence have failed to reach the court.

The Judge of the Special Court constituted to handle SC /ST Atrocities Act in Visakhapatnam, who is hearing the case, expressed surprise when he learnt that the material evidences such saris, petticoats and broken bangles of the 11 adivasi women, who were allegedly gang-raped by the personnel of Greyhounds, the elite anti-Naxal force of Andhra Pradesh, failed to the reach the Paderu Court, which first heard the case.

It is learnt that the Judge wrote to the CB-CID, who first investigated the case, to enquire about the material evidences, which are important aspects in the case.

On August 20, 2007, 11 adivasi women of Vakapalli village in Nurmati panchayat of G. Madugula mandal in the Agency region of Visakhapatnam district, were allegedly gang-raped by the personnel of Greyhounds. Subsequent investigation by the AP CB-CID has revealed that the men in question were not from the Greyhounds but from the AP Special Police, who form part of the security deployment in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam district, and are used in combing operations.

After a decade of struggle for justice, the Supreme Court in last August ordered that the case be heard by a Special Court constituted to handle SC /ST Atrocities Act in Visakhapatnam. After a few adjournments, the first hearing was scheduled for Thursday. The next hearing will now be held on September 17.