Monday, October 23, 2006

The Departed

"Pachchas rupya do saab" (give me fifty rupees) demanded the autowallah as he dropped me outside the Delhi High Court. I didn’t haggle with him and handed over a 50 rupee note and walked to the Courtroom. Even though I have a car, I can’t come in it as the press knows my car and they will hound me like vultures surrounding a dead body. I walked as fast as I can so that I don’t want to get mobbed by anyone and settled in one end of the court clutching my bag closely.

"Today we will have the verdict for the case between Priyadarshini Vs Santosh" declared the judge. Priyadarshini. My dear daughter could have been a successful lawyer, a more-than-average-singer or an obedient wife and a nice mom. But what did she become? An objection of obsession of a psychopath who had stalked her for long, who one day ended her life after a gruesome rape and left her dead in a pool of blood. Every time the press and the court when ask me to repeat the details of the crime, it was like being hanged to death without any sentence.

The case has been in hearing for the past 10 years and it has been like 10 centuries. The worse day of my life was when in 1999, a court judge declared openly that he was acquitting the murderer even though he knew he was the culprit, because of lack of evidence. My whole world turned upside down. It was a blow on the face of justice. Worse was that the murderer Santosh cleared the Bar exam and is now a practicing Lawyer.

What makes these people commit such crimes? Is it the fact that our justice system has so many loopholes that even a dinosaur can walk out of it? Is it the support of their strong connections with powerful men in positions where anything and everything can be compromised? Don’t these senseless bastards think that the women to whom they do such gruesome acts are women as their own mothers or sisters?

The judge cleared his throat and brought me back to the shore from the sea of questions and doubts. "The trial judge acquitted the accused amazingly taking a perverse approach. It murdered justice and shocked judicial conscience. Santosh is found guilty of murder of Priyadarshini under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape)."

As he delivers his sentence, there is uproar in the room, but I would not hear it form sometime. Tears of joy flow down my eyes and it’s a sign of perseverance of the 10 years I spent to hear this verdict. I know that by hanging him dead I cannot bring my dear daughter back from dead. But why I need this verdict badly is to prevent more men from turning into maniacs as Santosh and stop women being victimized as my daughter.

As I leave the court I take my hands out of the bag that I was clutching. The press swarms up to hear my opinion on the verdict. "Finally justice has been delivered" I say plainly and leave the premises. I am happy that they didn’t make me use the gun I had in hidden in my bag as the very last resort.

P.S: Dedicated to Priyadarshini Mattoo. Finally Justice has been served.

20 comments:

Ganesh Ranganathan said...

people like Santosh and Sathish Sharma should be severly punished as an warning to others

Anonymous said...

i always feel dat our system has many many loopholes to sneak out of punishments very safely...i think public participation is necessary in cases such as this...thanks to media without which even in this court d same situation would've been continued....

Keshi said...

I hope they get what they deserve.

Keshi.

Anonymous said...

wow, justice has been served by the indian judicial system, FINALLY!
happy diwali to you ! :)

Shruti said...

finally justice has been done...
but indian judicial system have to learn from their mistakes so that this kinda situation dont accured again...

Anonymous said...

Very nicely written man!!
We have loopholes big enough for a dinosaur to go through and when powerful people get involved then the hole becomes so big that 10 dinosaurs can go through it at a time... But nice to know justice has been served atleast now. Better late than never.

Anonymous said...

At last!!! Am really happy to learn justice was given...

As usual, harish rocks!!! Final paragraf - Splendid! :)

Has to be me said...

Super way of putting it in ur own words man! Well done! And yes our system shd change fr the better.

Sat said...

nothing related to this post....Departed padam paathiya?
Inga innum ethana varushathula release aagumo...heard it's good

~*. D E E P A .* ~ said...

And there she is .. Priyadarshini Mattoo smiling down at you from heaven

Anonymous said...

Justice is better late than never...considering the system in our country!

Anonymous said...

whether anybody can change our system. whether justice would be given at least cost and at quick time.

the soul is truly divine. may be that is why it has disappeared for ever.

least said is better about out judicial system.

mera bharat mahaan.

Ms Congeniality said...

Very well written :-)

nandoo said...

no waiting for 10 years... appove pottu iruppen naana irunthaa :D

Harish said...

@Ganesh
I am happy that he is getting capital punishment. It may sound cruel, but this is that way to stop more incidents as such.

@Gopal
Well said Gopal

@Keshi
They did Keshi

@Soulasylum
Belated wishes to u as well :-)

@Shruti
I hope that they did

@KK
Point made buddy

@Prithz
Thanks yaar

@HTBM
Truth prevails

Harish said...

@Sat
Scorcese Padam paakamala?Forget it. Burma bazar la poli dvd kidaicha vaangi paaru. Matt Damon pattaya kelapittan

@Deepa
I guess its a more satisfied smile now

@Sangeetha
Yes...very righty said

@TVS
I hope this case serves as a stepping stone

@Ms Congeniality
Thanks yaar

@Raz
Perfectly said

@Nandoo
naan kooda ada thaan senjiruppaen

Anonymous said...

Well written!

KC! said...

indha kadhai daily UK-la nadakudhu harish...there is killing every day, and everyday there are people howling against justice or delivering the statement that justice has been given.

Harish said...

@Gayathri
Thanks

@Usha
UK layuma? The whole world is going to dogs...

Heidi Kris said...

Atleast now justice prevailed. But ena use? Kozhandai azhache paal kudutha dhan use; sethu pona apram 10th day vidaradhu waste!

Court-u case-u nu ivangalam izhuthu adikama irukarathuku, roadla vechu naai adikaramadri adichu sutu kolanum! Poruki pasanga!