Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Blasts verdict

The Mumbai serial bomb blasts case has ended with special judge P.D. Kode awarding the death penalty to 12. It is heartening that the perpetrators of the heinous and ghastly crime have finally been brought to justice. Although it is true that one wrong cannot justify another, let us not forget that the blasts were a sequel to the riots that broke out in Mumbai in December 1992-January 1993, whose victims are still waiting for justice. They deserve justice on a par with the victims of the blasts.

Safiya Sameena,
Vijayawada

Justice Kode deserves a pat on the back. It was no mean task to record huge pages of evidence and examine close to 700 witnesses. In spite of being under tremendous pressure, he gave a verdict that proved that the law is the same for a celebrity and a commoner.

Amble Antony,
Bangalore

Six-year rigorous imprisonment for actor Sanjay Dutt is a landmark judgment. Justice Kode deserves full praise for dealing with the case with an iron hand. The actor’s plea that he kept an AK-56 rifle for self-defence lacks credibility. His nefarious connections with the underworld proved to be his nemesis. The verdict should serve as an eye-opener to the high and mighty as well as the common people.

Sajit Nambudiripad,
Wayanad

Agreed, everyone must abide by the law and Sanjay has been punished for violating it. But justice is still eluding the victims of the communal riots that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992. Should not the long arm of the law extend to the perpetrators?

Mohammad Arshad,
New Delhi

Now that the verdict in the Mumbai blasts case has been delivered, how about taking out the Justice Srikrishna Commission report from the dustbin? The dear and near of the riot victims also deserve justice.

C. Vijaykumar,
Coimbatore

The persons who planted bombs have been sentenced to either death or life imprisonment. But the politicians who led the riots in 1992 and the policemen who helped them are still roaming free. Nor have the policemen who allegedly opened fire on people offering namaz at the Hari Masjid, killing six persons, been brought to book.

Ziyaullah Khan,
Pune

There is no question that Sanjay deserved to be punished. But it is the quantum of punishment that has surprised many. For a man who has suffered mental torture for 14 years, a six-year prison term is harsh. His conduct in the last many years should have been taken into account.

M.K. Bajaj,
Chandigarh

Should we welcome the verdict? Not, if we want justice for all. In the months preceding the blasts, hundreds of Muslims were killed in brutal, widespread violence at the hands of the saffron brigade and policemen. In an act of jungle justice, some Muslims shocked Mumbai with bomb blasts in March 1993. But this was a reaction to prolonged violence against a hapless minority. The Srikrishna Commission indicted scores of police officers and top politicians. The report was consigned to oblivion. Thus ‘action’ was forgiven and ‘reaction’ punished. In Gujarat, virtually every Muslim even remotely alleged to have been involved in the Godhra train burning case is languishing in jail under POTA. On the other hand, the chief players of the genocide that followed are roaming scot-free. Here, ‘action’ has been punished and ‘reaction’ overlooked. A system that punishes a community, and not crime, is anything but justice.

M. Hasan Jowher,
Ahmedabad

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