Govt. should deliver justice, not boosters

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

One country, one law but it seems to take different course from time to time. Dhananjay Chatterjee is sent to the gallows for raping and killing a girl but for the same offence Santosh Kumar Singh is still doing rounds of the Supreme Court. This after Santosh was given a 'benefit of doubt' by lower court until the media virtually pressurised the government, the courts and the police to take up the case. But it has been three years since he was awarded the death sentence but the case still looms in the corridors of the magnificent structure of the the Supreme Court of India.

Similar has been the case of Ruchika Girhotra where the media blow up has meant that the Home Ministry, the Law Ministry, the Police and the Courts all have swung into action. Decisions and judgements are being pronounced in advance and former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore has been be stripped off his medals and awards. This is what the system has done to console the family and friends of Ruchika who have been victimised for 19 long years by it. Does stripping medals and awards give peace to Ruchika's soul? The government might have an answer after having delivered such a booster.

Now a bigger question arises, thousands of cops in this country await their trial for molestation, rape, murder, corruption etc., what does the government do with them? Former Punjab DGP KPS Gill who is a role model for policeman in this country might have to be stripped off his medals too. He too is convicted of misbehaving with IAS officer Rupan Deol Bajaj in 1996. So will the Government strip the most decorated police officer of all his medals? Will it do same to the thousands of other cops and armed force personnels charged with cases? If not why such a cosmetic cover-up to the administrative failure?

The argument here is not for Rathore to be not stripped of his medials but the the grossly shady act of the government. Rathore deserves the harshest of punishment possible for not only having molested Ruchika but having molested every level of the administration. From having harassed Ruckhia's family, delivering faulty electricity bills, ouster her from the school and finally forcing her to commit suicide, Rathore has to be tried for all his offence. He deserves to be sent to the gallows for having molested the entire system.

The government should stop give judgement like in reality shows. When it had slept for 19 long years why is it setting precedents like stripping him of his medals knowing very well it will not be able to do the same to other men in khaki people convicted of crimes. The government should act and not enact what public sentiments in the country want it to. It has to ensure that justice is delivered rather than trying to deliver such cosmetic boosters.