Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

`It is elementary'

The acquittal of all the nine accused in the Jessica Lal case clearly demonstrates the need to revamp and modernise our justice delivery mechanism. Had the police acted swiftly and in a scientific manner, the gun from which the bullet was fired could have been found, and its owner traced. As Sherlock Holmes famously put it, "it is elementary, my dear Watson."

Sannapareddy Krishna Reddy,
Nellore, A.P.

* * *

Is Satyameva Jayate (truth alone triumphs) still relevant?

A.P. Nagrath,
Gurgaon, Haryana

* * *

It is time legal loopholes were plugged to prevent criminals from getting away on technical grounds.

Beatrix D'Souza,
Chennai

* * *

The need of the hour is changes to the Criminal Procedure Code handing out stringent punishment to witnesses who turn hostile during the trial. It is unfortunate that money and muscle power can overrule everything in India.

K.P. Ashok Kumar,
Thiruvananthapuram

* * *

Now we know that with regard to the wealthy and politically well connected, even justice blinks. How and why the witnesses turned hostile and the weapon was not recovered are worth investigating. For the people the verdict is news, and for Jessica's family it is a tragedy to endure.

K.S. Venkatraman,
Chennai

* * *

One can only imagine the trauma Jessica's family members must have undergone for seven years, culminating in the shocking acquittal. May they gain strength and courage from what has been so wisely said: "God sees the truth but prefers to wait." Justice will be done.

Arnab Basak,
New Delhi

* * *

The future of the country, it appears, is in the hands of spoilt brats who have the option of going berserk whenever they like.

A.M. Sharma,
New Delhi

* * *

It was quite disturbing to read about the verdict. How true that the law is like a cobweb across your wall. If a fly travels past, it is sure to get trapped whereas a lizard can pierce through by destroying the web.

Y. Parameswaran Menon,
Thrissur, Kerala

* * *

It was with a sense of resignation that I read about the acquittal of the accused in a case of murder that occurred in front of a large number of people. It reinforced what many criminal lawyers have said: shoddy investigation and prosecution contribute greatly to the acquittal of their clients.

C.A. Reddi,
Chennai

* * *

`No one killed Jessica' screamed a media headline. The functioning of the investigative agency, defence, prosecution, and witnesses together resulted in the accused being let off for lack of evidence after seven years of the supposed incident of shooting. The ugly face of power and pelf has been exposed.

H.R. Bapu Satyanaryana,
Mysore

* * *

The case was a total waste of taxpayers' money. There should be a provision in the penal code that an accused who can prove that he or she has lots of money and political backing should be discharged without any trial. That will save a lot of expenditure.

Sandeep Verma,
Ghaziabad, U.P.

* * *

The acquittal should come as no surprise. Our criminal justice system is such that the rich and powerful can manipulate it to their advantage.

Pratish Thakur,
Guntur, A.P.

* * *

I wonder why people find fault with the judicial system. The judiciary's role is very small in the entire process. The judge delivers a verdict on the basis of the evidence brought before him, the arguments of the prosecution and the defence, and eyewitness accounts. In what way is the judiciary to blame if eyewitnesses in Jessica Lal's case became hostile and the police failed to substantiate the allegations? Also let us not blame the system for everything. It is we who make up the system.

Anusha Singh,
New Delhi

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