The Jessica Lal Case is yet one more where the accused have been given more ‘importance’ than the victim. An excellent panel of defence lawyers managed to get continuance after continuance - and in the 7 odd year that passed memories faded, witnesses recanted, police fudged procedure and the accused walked. Today after almost 2 weeks of public protest and outrage, the Delhi Police has filed an FIR against unnamed persons under:

Section 120 of the Indian Penal Code for criminal conspiracy, for destruction of evidence and tempering with the evidence

My very basic knowledge of law tells me that once a court has aquitted an accused of a particular crime they cannot be arrested for the same crime. If there are any lawyers who know their IPC inside out - do correct me if I wrong. So i guess the ’system’ has decided to charge them with a ‘lesser’ crime. A few days ago? i was talking to a friend? civil vigilantiism? - where ordinary citizens seeing the system stack up against them - take the law into their own hands. A couple of years ago, I had blogged about the Akku Yadav case - where this man who raped & terrorised women was lyched by a mob of victims. How long before some one takes a gun and shoots the guilty dead. And worse, how much longer before someone takes a gun and shoots the wrong person. When the system doens’t deliver this is the Pandora’s box that we open up.

Tags: Gender Issues, India, Justice, Society, Women