EditorsEdit : Sanjay Dutt more equal in the eyes of the law?
"The law for the rich and poor is not the same."- Plautus, Cistellaria, c. 200 B.C.
There has been an outpouring of sympathy for the Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, after his conviction under the Arms act., related to a charge that he took possession and stored a AK56 rifle from Abu Salem, a known terrorist. The actor has been let off the much serious charge of abetting terrorism, though. A youth was quoted on NDTV saying - " his family and he himself have done so many good things for society, so he should have been let off".
How short can public memory be, how easily can public image be 'managed' and how having friends in high places can help the high and the mighty! People seem to have forgotten that Sanjay Dutt has himself confessed to have taken and stored the AK56 rifle from Abu Salem. If a lesser mortal had committed the same crime would the Indian public and the judiciary be so forgiving? Would YOU & I have been shown such leniency?
Did you say yes? Well then spare a thought for one Zebunisa Qazi .The court held Zebunisa Qazi guilty of abetting terrorist acts by keeping in her possession weapons delivered to her by gangster Abu Salem and his men.
Former police commissioner M.N.Singh (who had , then,investigated the Mumbai blasts case), put these two disparate and disturbing facts in sharp relief, today, in an interview on CNN-IBN. Although he refused to comment on whether this was travesty of justice, not surprisingly, since that could amount to contempt of court, but he hinted that all was not well with this kind of a judgment.
Plautus, my dear fellow, nothing has changed. You can skip to the end and leave a response.
There has been an outpouring of sympathy for the Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, after his conviction under the Arms act., related to a charge that he took possession and stored a AK56 rifle from Abu Salem, a known terrorist. The actor has been let off the much serious charge of abetting terrorism, though. A youth was quoted on NDTV saying - " his family and he himself have done so many good things for society, so he should have been let off".
How short can public memory be, how easily can public image be 'managed' and how having friends in high places can help the high and the mighty! People seem to have forgotten that Sanjay Dutt has himself confessed to have taken and stored the AK56 rifle from Abu Salem. If a lesser mortal had committed the same crime would the Indian public and the judiciary be so forgiving? Would YOU & I have been shown such leniency?
Did you say yes? Well then spare a thought for one Zebunisa Qazi .The court held Zebunisa Qazi guilty of abetting terrorist acts by keeping in her possession weapons delivered to her by gangster Abu Salem and his men.
Former police commissioner M.N.Singh (who had , then,investigated the Mumbai blasts case), put these two disparate and disturbing facts in sharp relief, today, in an interview on CNN-IBN. Although he refused to comment on whether this was travesty of justice, not surprisingly, since that could amount to contempt of court, but he hinted that all was not well with this kind of a judgment.
Plautus, my dear fellow, nothing has changed. You can skip to the end and leave a response.
