top of page

By:

Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Swift Justice

The rape and murder of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Maharashtra’s Nasrapur village was one of those crimes that momentarily dissolves the distinction between legal outrage and moral revulsion. Such acts seem to defy language as much as law. The Pune Special POCSO Court deserves commendation for demonstrating that justice need not be paralysed by delay. Its decision to sentence the convicted perpetrator, Bhimrao Kamble, to death within two months of the crime was notable not merely...

Swift Justice

The rape and murder of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Maharashtra’s Nasrapur village was one of those crimes that momentarily dissolves the distinction between legal outrage and moral revulsion. Such acts seem to defy language as much as law. The Pune Special POCSO Court deserves commendation for demonstrating that justice need not be paralysed by delay. Its decision to sentence the convicted perpetrator, Bhimrao Kamble, to death within two months of the crime was notable not merely for the punishment imposed, but for the court’s insistence on an unbroken chain of forensic and circumstantial evidence, scrupulous adherence to due process, and a reasoned application of the “rarest of rare” doctrine. The Nasrapur case demonstrates that the criminal justice system can function with remarkable efficiency when its various arms work in concert. The court proceeded without avoidable delay while ensuring due process. Conviction came within sixty days of the crime, followed swiftly by sentencing. Such timelines should be exceptional only because every criminal trial ought to aspire to them. This matters because deterrence rarely flows from the theoretical existence of the death penalty. Criminological research across jurisdictions has struggled to establish that capital punishment, by itself, prevents violent crime. A justice system that delivers certainty is a greater deterrent than one that merely promises severity. Long delays, hostile witnesses, poor investigations and collapsing prosecutions weaken public confidence far more than the absence of harsher laws. India scarcely suffers from a shortage of stringent laws. Successive amendments to criminal legislation and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act have steadily increased penalties over the past decade. The larger deficit has been institutional capacity, be it competent investigation, scientific evidence gathering, witness protection and efficient adjudication. The verdict serves as a reminder that justice ultimately depends on institutions that function, not merely on laws that promise severity. The debate over the morality or efficacy of capital punishment is unlikely to disappear. But whatever one’s position on the death sentence, few could dispute the importance of a judgment rooted in painstaking evidence rather than emotional clamour. The Nasrapur case exposed the uncomfortable truth that the convicted man had acted with a sense of impunity, emboldened by his criminal history. This points to a recurring institutional failure. Dangerous repeat offenders cannot be allowed to slip repeatedly through administrative cracks. Effective policing is not merely about solving crimes after they occur; it is equally about identifying habitual offenders, monitoring them appropriately and preventing opportunities for further violence. The true precedent of Nasrapur should be that every victim, irrespective of public attention or political pressure, receives an investigation anchored in science, a prosecution built on evidence and a trial conducted without needless delay. Justice earns public confidence not because it is swift or severe in isolation, but because it is both scrupulous and certain.

Discussions on among allies for govt formation: Ajit Pawar

Updated: Nov 29, 2024

Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister and NCP head Ajit Pawar on Monday said discussions were underway among the Mahayuti partners to finalise a formula for the new government formation in the state.


Speaking to reporters at Karad in Satara district, Pawar also acknowledged the contribution of the government's Ladki Bahin scheme, which provides financial assistance to women, in the Mahayuti's victory in the just-concluded state assembly polls.


The NCP leader also assured that the alliance was working cohesively following its resounding victory in the state assembly elections.


Pawar paid tributes to Maharashtra's first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan at his memorial in Karad on his death anniversary.


In the state poll results declared on Saturday, the Mahayuti, which comprises the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, bagged an impressive 230 of the 288 assembly seats.


The focus has been on BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is being seen as a strong contender to occupy the top post for the third time, as his party bagged 132 of the 149 seats it contested in the state.


Notably, Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar has said his party legislators feel Eknath Shinde should continue as the chief minister of the state, where the ruling Mahayuti scored a landslide victory in the assembly polls.


Ajit Pawar said, "We will decide what formula to work out on the cabinet formation among the three parties."


Reflecting on the elections, he acknowledged the contribution of the Ladki Bahin scheme in the Mahayuti's win.


"We cannot ignore that Ladki Bahin helped us in this election. We are grateful to them (women voters)," he said.


Defending the scheme, Pawar, who is also the state finance minister, further said, "Had I been opposed to the Ladki Bahin scheme, I would not have presented it in the House. I discussed the scheme with several retired finance officers before finalising it."


Pawar also dismissed concerns raised by some opposition leaders over the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), pointing out that polls in states like Punjab, West Bengal and Telangana, governed by their political opponents, have been conducted with the same system.


Commenting on members of same families contesting against each other during the elections, Pawar expressed annoyance over repeated questions on it.


He then asked, "Why was my close nephew fielded? Atram's own daughter was fielded against him, and even Rajendra Shingne faced a similar challenge. I don't want to comment further on this. I have got tired of apologising for fielding my wife against Supriya. Yugendra was in business, then why was he prepared to contest against me?"


In the Baramati assembly seat, Ajit Pawar was pitted against his nephew and NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra Pawar.


In Aheri seat, NCP leader Dharamraobaba Atram's daughter Bhagyashree Atram contested against him on NCP (SP) ticket.

Comments

bottom of page