The slow pace of justice in India has always created a problem for both the accused and the victims. Stacks of pending cases, lack of evidence and cumbersome processes of investigation are serious impediments to the course of free and fair justice. Politicians are using the circumstances to give thrust to their own political gains but the fact is that it is the people on either side of the line of justice who suffer the most. Any failure in delivering justice is pernicious. The country’s judiciary needs the required infrastructure, staff, tools and technology to enable the speedy delivery of justice. There should be no room for creating doubt and suspicion (“Malegaon case: SC gives Purohit bail”, August 22).
Aparajita Singh,
Lucknow
The court saying that bail cannot be denied merely because some communities are against it is in itself a telling commentary on the tendency by political parties to checkmate one another through the powerful ammunition of “high-profile cases”. Parties already “pronouncing” their verdict is in bad taste. In the same way, some parties could have avoided going into raptures after the bail order. The rest should have avoided denouncing the Centre for “influencing the case”.
It has to be remembered that courts go by material evidence, among others, to adjudicate on the merits of a case. Whether or not all such evidence was produced will be examined by the court. All political parties must ponder over their priorities on cases pending before court. The intense debates over the “propriety” of the highest court of the land in granting bail can be avoided if highly sensitive cases are fast-tracked. The judiciary is merely doing its duty and it is for the legislature to find ways to insulate the court from verbal attacks. If procedures are simplified and cases are put up in all seriousness, there will be no ground for parties to play their favourite game of fixing blame. But will it happen in India?
Ganapathi Bhat,
Akola, Maharashtra
