Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Disappointing

The verdict in the Khairlanji case involving blatant murder arising out of casteist vengeance and intolerance against an upcoming Dalit family is highly disappointing. The murder of four members of the Bhotmange family was a shameful crime inflicted on Dalits by the upper caste villagers. But for the efforts of a few alert mediapersons and political leaders like Brinda Karat, the matter would not have come to light.

The sight of the mutilated bodies of the mother, daughter and two sons is deeply etched in one’s mind. That three of the accused have been let off and those found guilty have not been convicted under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is unfortunate.

The authorities responsible for the lapse in the legal proceedings deserve to be taken to task lest the verdict should embolden the perpetrators of such heinous crimes.

S.V. Venugopalan,

Chennai

When some high-profile criminal cases draw to a close and the guilty are brought to book, the verdicts help the common man repose faith in the system. The BMW hit-and-run case was one of them.

But in many cases, the guilty get away. The granting of bail to the accused in the Aarushi murder case, and the acquittal of the prime accused and the conviction of the others on far lesser charges in the Khairlanji case are examples. Such verdicts embolden criminals who lose the fear of the law.

C.G. Senthilkumar,

Sunnyvale

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