Aruna Shanbaug was a nurse in KEM Hospital. In 1973 Sohanlal Walmiki, a sweeper, sodomised her and strangled her with a dog chain. This cut off air supply to her brain. Since then she is in a vegetative state in the hospital. In 1974 Sohanlal Walmiki was found guilty of “sodomy and attempt to commit murder†and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
Month: December 2009
Fall of CBI
Over the years CBI has lost credibility. In many cases state police did a good job. After the case was handed over to CBI it was disaster. Cases of Aarushi-Hemraj murders, Scarlett Keeling murder and Telgi fake stamp paper cases suffered after they were handed over to CBI. Rajesh Talwar, Aarushi’s father, who was under arrest, was let off by CBI. CBI arrested three persons but did not file chargesheet within 90 days and the three got bail. In Rizwanur Rahman murder case CBI said it was suicide. In Telgi fake stamp paper case the amount of Rs.37,000 crores got reduced to few hundred crore rupees. There was narco test and name(s) of some politician(s) had come out but there was no investigation on that front.
Supreme Court, Marriage and Murder
The murders were the outcome of a social issue like a marriage with a person of so-called lower caste. However, a time has come when we have to consider these social issues as relevant while considering the death sentence in the circumstances as these.â€
This judgment is dangerous and should not be allowed to set a precedent. If something is wholly unjustified it should not be considered whether the circumstances are peculiar or otherwise. Intercaste marriage is not a peculiar circumstance, more so in Bombay.
The judgment says Dilip, therefore, must have been a prey. Either he was a prey or he was not. Even if he were a prey that did not give him a right to murder. If other people poke their nose they should be told to shut up. Since the judges were sure about him being a prey this sentence should not have been part of the judgment.
The judgment goes against equality enshrined in the constitution of India when it says “when we have to consider these social issues as relevant while considering the death sentenceâ€. This justifies discrimination on the basis of caste and less punishment for people of “upper castes†for crimes against people of “lower castesâ€.
The Government of India must act. A review petition must be filed against this judgement in the Supreme Court. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Law Minister Veerappa Moily must begin the process of removal of these judges Justice V. S. Sirupurkar and Justice Deepak Verma.
Supreme Court and prostitution
“When you say it is the world’s oldest profession and when you are not able to curb it by laws, why don’t you legalise it? You can then monitor the trade, rehabilitate and provide of medical aid to those involved in the trade.
They have been operating in one way or the other and nowhere in the world have they been able to curb it by legislation. In some cases, they are carried out in a sophisticated manner. So why don’t you legalise it?†Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice A. K. Patnaik asked Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam. Gopal Subramaniam said he would look into it.
Statehood for Telangana
On 9 December 2009 at 11.30 p.m. P. Chidambaram announced the initiation of process for statehood for Telangana. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhara Rao, leader of Telangana Rashtra Samiti, called off his fast.
America and Muslims
There are many Muslims who hate America. It is not just because of the Narrative. If some Americans think that for two decades the US foreign policy has been largely dedicated to rescuing Muslims or trying to help free them from tyranny – in Bosnia, Darfur, Kuwait, Somalia, Lebanon, Kurdistan, post-earthquake Pakistan, post-tsunami Indonesia, Iraq and Afghanistan – they are fooling themselves.