The Madras High Court has rejected the appeals of 215 convicts, among them are  former members of Tamil Nadu's forest and revenue departments, in the 1992 Vachathi village rape and brutality case involving tribal victims in Dharmapuri district.

Judge P. Velmurugan issued the judgment on criminal appeals that had been pending since 2011 regarding the sentences handed to 215 convicts. The judge instructed the sessions court to promptly initiate actions to apprehend all the convicts.

Furthermore, the Court ordered the State government to provide a compensation of ₹10 lakh to the 18 women who were subjected to sexual assault by state officials. Additionally, the families of three victims who lost their lives in the aftermath of the incident are also entitled to receive extra compensation, as per the Court's directive.

The Court mandated that the State should retrieve 50 percent of the compensation sum from the officials who were convicted and sentenced for the crime of rape in this case.

The Court also emphasized the need to implement welfare measures and offer employment opportunities to the families of the victims. Additionally, it stressed the importance of taking essential actions to enhance the quality of life for the tribal communities residing in Vachathi.

In February of this year, the judge had postponed the judgment on the appeals submitted by 126 forest personnel, 84 police personnel, and 5 revenue officials. Following this decision, Justice Velmurugan also conducted a site visit to Vachathi village to gain a better understanding of the geographical layout of the area.

On June 20, 1992, individuals from Tamil Nadu's forest and revenue departments entered Vachathi village, alleging they had received information about the illegal felling and smuggling of sandalwood in the vicinity, with suspicions of villagers being involved. However, the villagers contended that these officials had engaged in acts of home destruction, inflicted violence upon women, and caused harm to their livestock.

In the days following the incident, 18 women came forward with allegations of sexual assault, asserting that they had been raped during the raid.

In 1995, after a petition filed by the CPI(M), the Madras High Court decided to transfer the investigation of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On September 29, 2011, nearly two decades after the incident occurred, the trial court handed down convictions to 126 forest personnel, which included four Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers, 84 police personnel, and 5 revenue personnel in connection to the case.