The modern thinking Indian

Is this a blow for justice ? Maybe. Maybe the active nature of the judiciary in India, however imperfect, will somehow bring about a slow progress for change. We have positive acts by the higher judiciary such as the judgements passed on the Jessica Lal case, the Mattoo case, the probing and questioning by the judiciary on the various acts by the political class such as reservation based on religion, on caste, and so on. Even when balanced by some irresponsible acts by the lower judiciary, the overall movement seems to be positive.
In the midst of all this comes this judgement by the special court in Siwan to the bahubali MP Mohammed Shahabuddin. No one doubts that Shahabuddin is guilty of most of the things he is accused. He is a known terror in the region, a region he runs as his personal fiefdom. He is guilty of employing methods of pure terror to keep other people in check, and he used this terror to ensure that he became the elected MP from the region. And then, Laloo Prasad Yadav, recognizing his special capabilities for manpower and strength, took him in the party.
Further, if police files are looked at, he is guilty of a number of crimes in his native state, ranging from murder to robbery, and numerous others. Yet, he was never prosecuted by the administration of RJD (Laloo and Rabri) because of the benefits he brought them, thus ensuring that the state did not carry out its primary duty of ensuring a terror-free region. It was only under a new district administration and new police chief that his wings were clipped. It is essential that the arms of the state be seen as devoted to ensuring a crime and threat free region in order to bring prosperity to everybody.
Refer this article:

Announcing the quantum of punishment for the controversial RJD MP Mohammed Shahabuddin in the 1999 kidnapping case, a special court in Siwan has awarded him life imprisonment. Additional district and sessions judge Gyaneshwar Prasad Srivastava also slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakh on the MP, who is presently lodged in Siwan jail.
The judge had on May five pronounced him guilty under section 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) in the case relating to kidnapping of CPI-ML worker Chote Lal Gupta on February 7, 1999. Chote Lal has been missing since his kidnapping and the prosecution could not establish whether he was murdered.

Again, there are very few doubts in this case. The victim was last seen with the accused, and that was the last that the victim was seen. One hopes that higher courts also stick with this judgement, and this would be a landmark where a bahubali is punished for his misdeeds. This leaves out hope for further action against other such people such as the UP politician Raja Bhaiya, and numerous other criminal-politicians present in all parties.

Labels: Court, Development, Governance, India, Investigation, Law, Police