New Delhi, Dec 19: Overturning an Andhra Pradesh
High Court's acquittal decision , the Supreme Court on Friday imposed life imprisonment on the main accused and convicted 30 others in the sensational Karamchedu caste carnage in 1985.
Ironically, the accused stand convicted after a
23-year-long legal battle over the carnage in state's Prakasam
district which witnessed some upper caste Hindus hack to death
six Harijans and injure 20 others in 1985.
The incident was sparked off by an argument between the
two communities after buffaloes belong to the upper caste took
a dip in a drinking water pond used by the the Harijans.
A bench of Justices B N Aggrawal and G S Singhvi
imposed life imprisonment on main accused R Anjaiah
while convicting 30 others under Section 148 IPC (rioting)
which entails a maximum sentence of three years.
The apex court passed the judgement while upholding an
appeal filed by the State Government challenging the clean
chit given by the Andhra Pradesh High Court which acquitted
all the 50 accused convicted and sentenced to varying terms by
the sessions court in Prakasam.
The pond incident of August 17, 1985 was allegedly a ploy
of the influential Kamma community, close to the TDP, to
attack the Harijans who had allegedly voted in favour of the
Congress in the 1985 Assembly election.
Late film thespian N T Rama Rao who also belongs to the
Kamma community was at that time the chief minister of the
state. His son-in-law D Venkateshwar Rao was among those
accused of allegedly plotting the massacre.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, December 19, 2008, 00:00