Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Shocking verdict

The verdict in the Jessica Lal case, acquitting all the nine accused, is shocking. It is another example of how the Indian system works. It is unfortunate that the police could not provide enough evidence to get a conviction. Such verdicts make people lose faith in the judiciary. The judicial process is too time consuming, and no one is sure of light at the end of the tunnel. That the major witnesses to the heinous crime turned hostile is a shame. Stringent laws need to be formulated for the protection of witnesses against money and muscle power.

Aditya Raj Kaul,
New Delhi

* * *

Justice delayed is justice denied could be an apposite way of describing the verdict. Are we to conclude that no one killed Jessica because the police could not provide enough evidence against the rich and powerful? The criminal justice system should give more importance to scientific investigation and take circumstantial evidence into account. A time frame must be fixed for quicker disposal of cases.

Sutirtha Sahariah,
New Delhi

* * *

This is certainly a great moment for the police and the prosecution. The gun was not found, the bullets did not match, eyewitnesses actually did not see the shooting. Maybe, Jessica is still alive! Our investigative agencies and the justice delivery system have succeeded in making all of us hang our heads in shame.

K.M. Srinivasa Gowda,
Bangalore

* * *

The point is a person lost her life to bullets. In which case, there must have been a gun somewhere and someone must have pulled the trigger. It is unfortunate that with such scientific advancement, the Indian investigation continues to depend on eyewitnesses and virtual evidence. This is not surprising given the lathi-charge mentality of our policemen that does not differentiate between a criminal and a law-abiding citizen. Why do the police not resort to scientific investigation?

Hansini Pudke,
Bangalore

* * *

Justice delayed no doubt is justice denied but it is better than no justice at all. The acquittal is a pointer to how things can be managed. If a person goes scot-free just because of witnesses turning hostile, it is difficult to enforce order in society.

Sachin Sharma,
New Delhi

The acquittal of all the accused is reminiscent of the famous lines from Carl Sandburg's poem, Chicago: "And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again." Ironically five words were enough to bury an act of snuffing out a young life.V

J.M. Manchanda,
New Delhi

* * *

The verdict raises doubts about the credibility of the police. One is reminded of the fast track court verdict in the Best Bakery case, acquitting all the 21 accused. In both instances, the crime was committed in full view of people. Yet the police could not prove the involvement of the accused beyond doubt. Laws should be enacted to make changing of stance by witnesses during a trial a criminal offence.

N. Sreejith,
Bangalore

* * *

The verdict reminds one of the famous quote of Oliver Goldsmith: "Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the law."

V.S. Jayaraman,
Chennai

* * *

Where are all those who vociferously argued that Dhananjoy Chatterjee should not be spared the noose and came down heavily on the activists who appealed for clemency on his behalf?

This is not to say a poor convict should be treated leniently. But the high and mighty are almost always set honourably free.

Yeshwant Kumar,
Dharamsala, H.P.

* * *

Glaucon tells Socrates: "They say that to do injustice is, by nature, good; to suffer injustice, evil; but that the evil is greater than the good. And so when men have both done and suffered injustice and have had experience of both, not being able to avoid the one and obtain the other, they think that they had better agree among themselves to have neither; hence there arise laws and mutual covenants; and that which is ordained by law is termed by them lawful and just.

"This they affirm to be the origin and nature of justice; — it is a mean or compromise, between the best of all, which is to do injustice and not be punished, and the worst of all, which is to suffer injustice without the power of retaliation; and justice, being at a middle point between the two, is tolerated not as a good, but as the lesser evil ... For no man ... would ever submit to such an agreement if he were able to resist; he would be mad if he did. Such is the received account, Socrates, of the nature and origin of justice" (The Republic Book II by Plato). How right he was!

K.R.A. Narasiah,
Chennai

* * *

The acquittal leaves the common man sad over the state of criminal justice. Also worrisome is the ease with which witnesses turn hostile. Jessica's family will suffer silently. And we as a society do not have much to cheer about our disdain for criminals and love for the right.

Colonel R.D. Singh,
Jammu

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