Yet another salvo from Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde — fast track courts to expedite trial in cases involving “innocent Muslims” implicated in terror attacks. If they are “innocent,” why arrest them in the first place?
Is the government sure that only Muslims are falsely implicated in terror cases? We cannot have courts for every religion, sect and sub-sect. Let us become Indians.
M.P. Yadav,
Hyderabad
The UPA government’s proposal to set up fast track courts for “innocent Muslims,” bringing in some sort of ‘minority rights’ into the area of the judiciary, crime and punishment, is sure to further alienate the country from secularism and democracy. The idea of fast track courts for speedy justice to all is understandable. But the proposal to expedite cases of members of a community implies that the existing system has failed.
P.R.V. Raja,
Pandalam
The idea of a separate court on the basis of religion is unfair in a diverse society like India. Tomorrow, another group may demand a court to deal exclusively with members of its religion or faith. In the long run, it will further deepen the barrier of religion and faith. It is not as if only Muslims may be innocent. Many belonging to other religions arrested in connection with many criminal cases may be innocent.
Punishing police officials in case of wrongful arrest in terror cases will only create a new loophole in our already fragile security system. Police have to arrest people to interrogate. Threatening police officials with penal action will not only lead to a delay in the arrest of suspected terrorists but will also embolden terrorists to carry out attacks.
M.G. Manjunath,
Bangalore
If a group of so-called rights activists and MPs are so sure of the “innocence” of a few and the Home Minister is willing to consider its demand for fast track courts to dispose of cases against such “innocent” people, it amounts to the acceptance that police do frame cases against innocent people.
The government should withdraw the cases against “innocent” people so that the burden on the judiciary is lessened rather than go through the process of setting up courts.
T. Yoganandh,
Salem
