Mindstogether
From BluWiki
WHAT JUSTICE THIS? Delhi, October 2006
We are talking about Priyadarshani Mattoo case and High Court's verdict declaring Santoh Kumar Singh as murderer and rapist. Media is taking keen interest in the case, especially the TV Channels. In fact, one view could be that only because the case generated this much publicity and public outcry that the higher judiciary acted with justice in mind, not cold legal technicalities.
The verdict is out but sentence is yet to be announced. So would it be Hanging or Life sentence?
This takes us to another high profile court case in public domain now: life sentence to Afzal. One view here is that Afzal should not be hanged. But many who would not like Afzal hanged might not bat an eyelid if the other fellow (santosh kumar singh) is hanged. Odd this viewpoint may look, yet it has a streak of sense: You could be against hanging anybody [you might still prefer life sentence till death, not satisfied with twenty years which turns into ten years by some starange counts]but your respect for feminine dignity and disgust for causing suffering to innocent humans makes you okay death by hanging for this chap, Santosh. And, if you are aghast at the shamelessness of Delhi Police that this girl had even complained to Police Commissioner, the Delhi Police Chief who had even provided her the security guard, but still it could not protect this young girl from the murderous hands of this goon who was stalking her for two years, you might wish a death sentence for this force too. But that is not possible, the most we can expect is that the court should order investigation against erring police officials.
In fact, this issue of police and even CBI mishandling cases is more important than hanging or not hanging one of the culprits. Mishandling can be becaue of lack of understanding, taking wrong clues or such other mistakes or errors. What is appalling is that police officials, starting from the constable to the investigating officer to the highest officer try to influence the outcome. In our type of society, it comes largely due to monetary considerations and partly due to social network. These make it almost certain that those with political/bureaucratic/social influence or muscle power or money power can get away with murder. And when that is the trend, the common man is resigned to fate. On one hand, the criminals [professional or impulsive] get emboldened to commit crime and on the other, he/she takes the police mishandling as his/her fate.
Media has an important role here...
