Sinners, Saints & Monkey
By Bibek Debroy:
I am harping on the same theme because of a recent news item. A young man, named Shashikant Sharma, was reported missing in Jaipur. Subsequently, in September 2016, his dead body was found, within the geographical area of Chandwaji police station. Presumably, cops were not taking the murder investigation seriously. Otherwise, why were there reports about relatives and neighbours blocking Delhi-Jaipur highway, demanding action? In any event, police arrested Rahul Kandera and Mohanlal Kandera, both residents of Chandwaji, and charged them with murder. They were produced at additional district judge’s court. The evidence would now have to be produced before court. There were 15 items in the bag of evidence, including the knife used to kill. Normally, such evidence is kept in the malkhana (evidence room). But such are piling arrears of criminal justice that there was no space in the police station’s malkhana and this bag of evidence was simply kept under a tree. The police have now informed the court that a monkey ran away with this bag. In the absence of evidence, the accused will presumably be acquitted. You cannot monkey around with principles of natural justice.
Read the full article here: https://www.theweek.in/columns/bibek-debroy/2022/05/15/bibek-debroy-on-piling-arrears-of-criminal-justice-system-death-penalty-debate.html
