I was returning home from my internship by train, which was something I later found myself to regret. Saying Mumbai locals are filled with people is synonymous to saying that Suresh Kalmadi is a liar. Go during the right time, and there won’t be enough room for your chest hair to stand up straight. After being violated by hundreds of Mumbaikars and their bags, I went to only place that I believed could grant me some solace and serenity-a vada pav stall. I then returned home, feeling happy with the little lives I had changed today through law and picked up the newspaper. As I read it, I lost faith in law faster than Miley Stewart gets laid.
Juvenile? Are you fucking 'kid'ding me?
On the very first page I read about how a ‘juvenile’ of about 17-20 years of age (age wasn't able to be definitely determined) was let of the hook for raping a minor. I just hope my college mates back in Delhi don’t happen to read the article, for obvious reasons. What makes this news worst that he cut the body part into pieces and threw them into different public toilets.
If we look at the whole case, in one way, it is only fair to call youths from that age group juvenile when they can’t even spell out ‘adulthood’ (AdalThuD?).But, truly, this case particularly, beat the purpose of law, not much alike our ministers. Juvenile justice act works on the logic that juveniles are innocent and ignorant enough to not have a criminal intention behind the crime, just like they don’t have any behind promoting catastrophes like Twilight and Justin Bieber. However, cutting a body into pieces and disposing them into different places takes considerable time and work. Such time ought to have been enough for any sane, normal individual to regain his consciousness and self-control. (I have got case laws to prove that). Such action cannot be claimed to have been done under innocence. Something needs to be done about the Juvenile Justice Act. However its position in the government’s list of priorities, seems to be somewhere between ‘decrease petrol prices’ and ‘hug Musharraf’ right now.
On the very first page I read about how a ‘juvenile’ of about 17-20 years of age (age wasn't able to be definitely determined) was let of the hook for raping a minor. I just hope my college mates back in Delhi don’t happen to read the article, for obvious reasons. What makes this news worst that he cut the body part into pieces and threw them into different public toilets.
If we look at the whole case, in one way, it is only fair to call youths from that age group juvenile when they can’t even spell out ‘adulthood’ (AdalThuD?).But, truly, this case particularly, beat the purpose of law, not much alike our ministers. Juvenile justice act works on the logic that juveniles are innocent and ignorant enough to not have a criminal intention behind the crime, just like they don’t have any behind promoting catastrophes like Twilight and Justin Bieber. However, cutting a body into pieces and disposing them into different places takes considerable time and work. Such time ought to have been enough for any sane, normal individual to regain his consciousness and self-control. (I have got case laws to prove that). Such action cannot be claimed to have been done under innocence. Something needs to be done about the Juvenile Justice Act. However its position in the government’s list of priorities, seems to be somewhere between ‘decrease petrol prices’ and ‘hug Musharraf’ right now.
Ministers--Why do they open their mouth?
The next news was how a minister had declared that marriage was a contract as a part of which women have to do all the house hold chores. I presume that men have some duties as well which their wives don’t- Breathing, having consensual sex, eating food at convenient times, having a life, etc. I believe the minister’s exact words were “Marriage is successful only when wife looks after the household and husband takes care of the earning. This system is also good for society and ensures proper order in society.” I believe society’s exact reply was- “Absolutely true sir, just like your existence will be successful only when your ass does the shitting and your brain looks after the thinking, instead of them exchanging tasks.”
The next news was how a minister had declared that marriage was a contract as a part of which women have to do all the house hold chores. I presume that men have some duties as well which their wives don’t- Breathing, having consensual sex, eating food at convenient times, having a life, etc. I believe the minister’s exact words were “Marriage is successful only when wife looks after the household and husband takes care of the earning. This system is also good for society and ensures proper order in society.” I believe society’s exact reply was- “Absolutely true sir, just like your existence will be successful only when your ass does the shitting and your brain looks after the thinking, instead of them exchanging tasks.”
Passion: Stabbing?
The next news article did little to raise my faith, even slightly. It was a feeling which a guy feels after finding out that not only did his girlfriend cheat on him, but the person he cheated on him was his brother (ouch!). SC had decreased the punishment for a rapist from death sentence to life imprisonment. The rapist had stabbed the appellant’s 65 year old aunt 21 times, killing her and then raped his pregnant wife, later stabbing her 19 times. The bench of judges was of the opinion that this was not one of the ‘rarest of the rare’ cases which should invite capital punishment. Again I would try to justify the other side, which is bench of judges who reduced the punishment, because…. well it’s more fun to try and defend the other side than to run along with the crowd. Rarest of the rare cases need to be strictly defined in order to prevent the overuse of capital punishment. Too much liberation on this part may lead to injustice. Every other extension to this definition, however justified it may seem to be, may be contributing to such liberation. Also, as a judge, it is not easy when you have to decide on a man’s life. It is an unbearable torture to decide whether a man will live or not and every crime has certain factors behind it influencing and shaping it. Judges have been known to make serious mistakes on this part, and the feeling of regret later is unmatchable. The husband plans to file a review petition. We just have to wait and watch what happens.
The next news article did little to raise my faith, even slightly. It was a feeling which a guy feels after finding out that not only did his girlfriend cheat on him, but the person he cheated on him was his brother (ouch!). SC had decreased the punishment for a rapist from death sentence to life imprisonment. The rapist had stabbed the appellant’s 65 year old aunt 21 times, killing her and then raped his pregnant wife, later stabbing her 19 times. The bench of judges was of the opinion that this was not one of the ‘rarest of the rare’ cases which should invite capital punishment. Again I would try to justify the other side, which is bench of judges who reduced the punishment, because…. well it’s more fun to try and defend the other side than to run along with the crowd. Rarest of the rare cases need to be strictly defined in order to prevent the overuse of capital punishment. Too much liberation on this part may lead to injustice. Every other extension to this definition, however justified it may seem to be, may be contributing to such liberation. Also, as a judge, it is not easy when you have to decide on a man’s life. It is an unbearable torture to decide whether a man will live or not and every crime has certain factors behind it influencing and shaping it. Judges have been known to make serious mistakes on this part, and the feeling of regret later is unmatchable. The husband plans to file a review petition. We just have to wait and watch what happens.
Law has the dynamics of a hot girlfriend- it keeps changing.
And I am sure, rigorous modifications of laws will accompany the present
changes in the society. With changes in the society, changes in law don’t seem
to be far behind.
No comments:
Post a Comment