I almost couldn't believe myself. Was this really happening? The end of one of the most high-profile cases in Indian judicial history? It did seem a lost cause only on the basis of the number of years this thing has been dragging along... 14 years!
Over the past few days the focus had been shifted from the entire case to just one individual. The media frenzy as usual was quite unnecessary and highly irritating. There were 123 accused in the entire conspiracy. Out of which 100 were found guilty. 12 were sent to the gallows, 17 were given life imprisonment, 4 were awarded 14 years RI. But the spotlight rested on the last group of culprits.
Frankly speaking, Accused #117 held all the aces.
He is not just any other influential personality in Mumbai but a filmstar (Need I say more?). He's the son of a filmstar-turned-politician father and a filmstar mother from a minority community. A truly deadly combo. He had all the right connections. His political party is in power at centre and in the state. His sister is a sitting MP. He certainly was in the favorite lists of all the bhais. So essentially, more than half the police force and almost all politicians come in the trusted circle of friends. The media would've conferred the Bharat Ratna upon him had it been up to them. He had even brought letters of prominent personalities in Mumbai so that the judge would be lenient on him (What is this a sick note??)
I'm myself shocked at the verdict so I can imagine how this misguided orphan must be feeling!
So all of a sudden the stance changes from I-have-full-faith-in-the-law to I-would-appeal-in-the-SC. Surprise! Surprise! It's the judicial version of the same ol' hypocritic funda... The-courts-are-right-as-long-as-the-verdict-is-in-my-favour. Some of the statements he made after being sentenced are so ridiculous that I'm surprised someone could actually come up with those in a court of law. I'm as confident about the SC verdict as the Met department is about their predictions of rainfall in the beginning of monsoon.
The Munnabhai films have further skewed the already distorted image people have about filmstars, in general, and the accused, in particular. The low-point of Indian media (or atleast one of the low-points, since they've scaled quite a few Mariana Trenches lately) has to be the picture of the accused on the front page of almost all leading national newspapers on 2nd October 2006. That was just a film! For all that the filmstars care they can do absolutely anything if they're paid. So quite expectedly the reaction of Bollywood was... ummm... I don't care a damn about it anyways!
Now next few days we'll be subjected to completely useless details about what cell number in Arthur Road jail is Munnabhai staying in. What is the number on his jail uniform. What prison duties does he perform. What does he eat. How are his relations with other jail inmates. How they celebrated Holi, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi etc. How often does he take toilet breaks. How long are those toilet breaks etc etc etc...
But what everyone seems to be forgetting is this case was not about accused #117 or the 100 others who have been punished. It was about those 257 people who died on 12th March 1993. It was about those families who lost their loved ones. It was about Mumbai, for once, standing up and saying that we're not here to show you the other cheek. Gandhi-giri looks good only on the big screen. This case should remain a long standing example that if normal Indians get into terrorist activities (I don't care even if God influenced them) will be punished irrespective of who they are. So think twice before aiding such heinous crimes.
And ultimately... This case wasn't about revenge... This case was about justice, which though delayed has not been denied!
Cheers!
P.S.: I have deliberately made use of the terms 'accused #117' or 'the accused' to refer to the person in question since that's all that he really means to me.
Over the past few days the focus had been shifted from the entire case to just one individual. The media frenzy as usual was quite unnecessary and highly irritating. There were 123 accused in the entire conspiracy. Out of which 100 were found guilty. 12 were sent to the gallows, 17 were given life imprisonment, 4 were awarded 14 years RI. But the spotlight rested on the last group of culprits.
Frankly speaking, Accused #117 held all the aces.
He is not just any other influential personality in Mumbai but a filmstar (Need I say more?). He's the son of a filmstar-turned-politician father and a filmstar mother from a minority community. A truly deadly combo. He had all the right connections. His political party is in power at centre and in the state. His sister is a sitting MP. He certainly was in the favorite lists of all the bhais. So essentially, more than half the police force and almost all politicians come in the trusted circle of friends. The media would've conferred the Bharat Ratna upon him had it been up to them. He had even brought letters of prominent personalities in Mumbai so that the judge would be lenient on him (What is this a sick note??)
I'm myself shocked at the verdict so I can imagine how this misguided orphan must be feeling!
So all of a sudden the stance changes from I-have-full-faith-in-the-law to I-would-appeal-in-the-SC. Surprise! Surprise! It's the judicial version of the same ol' hypocritic funda... The-courts-are-right-as-long-as-the-verdict-is-in-my-favour. Some of the statements he made after being sentenced are so ridiculous that I'm surprised someone could actually come up with those in a court of law. I'm as confident about the SC verdict as the Met department is about their predictions of rainfall in the beginning of monsoon.
The Munnabhai films have further skewed the already distorted image people have about filmstars, in general, and the accused, in particular. The low-point of Indian media (or atleast one of the low-points, since they've scaled quite a few Mariana Trenches lately) has to be the picture of the accused on the front page of almost all leading national newspapers on 2nd October 2006. That was just a film! For all that the filmstars care they can do absolutely anything if they're paid. So quite expectedly the reaction of Bollywood was... ummm... I don't care a damn about it anyways!
Now next few days we'll be subjected to completely useless details about what cell number in Arthur Road jail is Munnabhai staying in. What is the number on his jail uniform. What prison duties does he perform. What does he eat. How are his relations with other jail inmates. How they celebrated Holi, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi etc. How often does he take toilet breaks. How long are those toilet breaks etc etc etc...
But what everyone seems to be forgetting is this case was not about accused #117 or the 100 others who have been punished. It was about those 257 people who died on 12th March 1993. It was about those families who lost their loved ones. It was about Mumbai, for once, standing up and saying that we're not here to show you the other cheek. Gandhi-giri looks good only on the big screen. This case should remain a long standing example that if normal Indians get into terrorist activities (I don't care even if God influenced them) will be punished irrespective of who they are. So think twice before aiding such heinous crimes.
And ultimately... This case wasn't about revenge... This case was about justice, which though delayed has not been denied!
Cheers!
P.S.: I have deliberately made use of the terms 'accused #117' or 'the accused' to refer to the person in question since that's all that he really means to me.
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