The photograph on the first page (December 8) conveyed the helplessness of the women residents of Unnao village. The indifference of police, an unending delay in delivering and implementing judgments and incidents like the burning of the Unnao victim are the factors behind the common man losing faith in the judiciary. That said, the celebrations in the country following the Hyderabad shooting are troubling. Even if the end is justified, there can not be any disagreement that the means should follow all the established legal procedures. On the other hand, while justice cannot be instant, it should also not take infinite time.
K. Vijayaraghavan,
Hyderabad
One would agree with Chief Justice S.A. Bobde that justice cannot be instant (Front page, Dec. 8). But, he should know better that justice cannot take 5-7 years to be delivered and implemented (as in the Nirbhaya case). People have by and large lost trust in the judiciary, with cases dragging on indefinitely. It should not take more than three months to give justice to the victims of heinous crimes like rape and murder. Every reasonable citizen understands that justice can never be instant but the government and the judiciary should also understand that importance of time limit.
Jayanthy S. Mani,
Mumbai
It is sad that the Unnao gang-rape victim, who had the courage to pursue the case all by herself, died of extensive burn injuries. Though the police would now alter the case to ‘murder’, it won’t make any material difference to the accused, because they may again get bail. Given their money power, the culprits could even intimidate members of the victim’s family. All this amounts to a mockery of the justice system. The common man’s faith in the judiciary has already gone for a toss. If corrective steps are not taken, we shall soon reach a point of no return.
P.G. Menon,
Chennai
The observations of the Chief Justice of India, Justice S.A. Bobde, on the recent killing of four alleged rapist-murderers by the Hyderabad police, and his reference to ‘revenge killings’, should serve as a timely warning to trigger happy cops. There is no place for vigilante justice in our criminal system. While there can be no two opinions on the fact that justice needs to be ensured, there is an imperative need to follow the due process of law as laid down in the Indian Penal Code. The right of every criminal to a free and fair trial cannot be compromised as has clearly been done in the Hyderabad case, where no opportunity was given to the accused to mount a defence. The nagging doubt as to whether the four were actually guilty of the crime too will remain for all time to come. Justice Bobde’s fear that the legal system of justice would lose its relevance is well founded as settling scores, whether by the police or the kin of the victims, clearly falls beyond the pale of the law. The only recourse, especially in the case of horrific crimes, is to speed up the legal process by instituting fast-track courts that can ensure that justice will not be delayed under any circumstances.
C.V. Aravind,
Bengaluru
The frenzied celebration across the country following the custodial deaths of four men accused of gang-raping and murdering a young woman veterinarian in Hyderabad last week should be a cause for worry. It is possible that the badgered cops, who were under fire for procedural lapses and delinquency of duty in a case that has exasperated the whole nation, pulled off the stunt to turn public opinion in their favour. The extrajudicial killings in Hyderabad that were typical of fake encounters are an example of state meting out vigilante justice through police who acted as the cat’s paw. If the state is allowed to sanction mob justice, bypassing procedural laws, then tomorrow it may turn against the innocent and overturn the principle of presumed innocence. How many of us are sure that the cops who shot down the criminals are the actual ones committed the crime? On the one hand, we have no faith in the system, and on the other, we are convinced that the police, who are at the heart of the veritable rotten system, picked up the right men and punished them. Is it not a dangerous premise? The chronic diseases afflicting India’s decayed criminal justice system must be addressed strongly by reforming the judicial administrative machinery. Delivery of justice must be made swifter. And there should be proper medico-legal care for survivors of sexual assault. Until these fundamental steps are taken, society will demand quick and instant punishment driven by a fear that justice may remain forever elusive in the convoluted corridors of law.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
The point on revenge flagged by Justice Bobde needs to be taken seriously by all. Courts in India burdened with over 30 million pending cases at different levels and across geographies, need to change their priorities and professionalise methods of their functioning. The attention the so called celebrity cases get and the time being devoted to “sensational” matters before all courts need a re-look. Perhaps, constituting temporary special courts where feasible may be considered for old cases to enable timely disposal of newer matters before courts.
M.G. Warrier,
Mumbai
It is really shocking that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged women to snatch power from men to protect themselves from crimes such as sexual assault. Ironically, even her brother Rahul Gandhi branded India as ‘rape capital’ of the world. Have they forgotten that the 2012 Nirbhaya incident happened when New Delhi was under the leadership of Sheila Dikshit and Dr. Manmohan Singh? It is easy to criticise sitting in the Opposition. Of course, whether it is UPA or NDA or regional parties, all of them have proved to be inefficient, mainly due to the loopholes in laws formulated to punish such culprits. What we need is stringent laws, without any loopholes, and a fast-track court to inquire such cases and punish the guilty without any delay. The maximum period of trial should not be more than 6-9 months.
N. Viswanathan,
Coimbatore
The extra-judicial killings of the accused in the Hyderabad rape case are being applauded, considering the brutal injustice done to a girl. But is this the answer to growing sexual crimes? Is this also the answer if the accused belongs to the elite section and is a politician or the son of a wealthy or influential India? Is this the compensation people get for the failure of the long-delayed judicial processes and the lackadaisical approach of the police? We must realise that the arc of moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.
Divya Singla,
Patiala, Punjab
