The verdict, on Wednesday, by a sessions court in Alwar, acquitting the six accused in the lynching of Pehlu Khan, a Haryana dairy farmer, two years ago, is baffling (Page 1, August 15). It will only embolden so-called cow vigilantes to further take the law into their own hands. There is strong evidence in the form of video footage. If its veracity is in doubt, the court could have well directed the prosecution to seek the opinion of forensic experts. Is it so difficult? Justice should not only be done but also seen to be done. The State should vigorously pursue this case in the High Court.
T. Anand Raj,
Chennai
The verdict depicts the sad reality of the criminal justice system in India. A horrific murder was recorded on camera yet there is no justice. We should not forget that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. It is an irony that this judgment came a day before we celebrated our Independence Day. A country’s legal system which cannot ensure justice to a poor victim who was lynched because of the perception that he was an alleged cow smuggler has no right to proclaim that it stands for the principles of constitutionalism, rule of law, equality, right to life and liberty. An utterly disgraceful murder takes place and the legal machinery of the state fails to punish the culprits. Such developments will only encourage hate and intolerance, especially against a particular community..
Mansha Mishra,
Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh
The sessions court has sent out a wrong signal: that the guilty can go unpunished as a result of a few legal deformities. Unless the higher judiciary takes cognisance of the matter and takes up the case suo motu to punish the guilty, such verdicts will only induce other perpetrators to commit even graver and more heinous crimes. The verdict also raises questions about the efficacy of our law enforcement agencies and the justice delivery system.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin,
Kagitalapenta, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh
A host of factors such as an insincere investigation, an ineffective prosecution and accused-friendly laws are what have led to the miscarriage of justice. The Congress government must make amends by filing an appeal against the verdict. All the officials concerned should be hauled up for their acts of commission and omission. The Pehlu Khan case not only exposes the chinks in the criminal justice system but also the vulnerability of all governmental agencies.
S.V. Venkatakrishnan,
Bengaluru
