In the eyes of law...

Sanjay Dutt, for those of you who are uninitiated, is among the biggest stars of the Indian film industry (Bollywood), more so after the smashing success of ‘Munnabhai’ and its equally successful sequel ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’. As a lanky youngster of around 35 years, Lucifer in his wisdom managed to get him to, illegally, buy an AK-56 gun which he hurriedly disposed off, equally illegally, just after the, now infamous, Mumbai (sectarian) riots. The investigative agencies slapped the draconian TADA act (Indian anti-terror law) and managed to put him away for around 18 months.

After a trial that stretched on for more than a decade, Sanjay was found guilty, not under the TADA law but the Arms act, and handed down a sentence of 6 years rigorous imprisonment. The media guys went into a frenzy. Television news channels were swamped with the news and analysed the judgement to its death. The print media, in turn, devoted entire pages with screaming headlines, delving into the minutest details of Sanjay’s life.

What was the judge supposed to do? Let him go scot free due to his celebrity status or good behaviour during the parole period? Had the judge done that, the same media guys, who are now analysing and ripping apart the judgement would have screamed murder and held it up as an example of how the rich and powerful are treated preferentially by the law. That’s not the issue!

At this current day and age we need Lady Justice to open here eyes (and maybe wear shades to compensate her long years in darkness). The wheels of justice must take into account the reality that there are humans out there who may commit mistakes/blunders, which do not hurt other people, and that their self realisation helps them evolve as good and responsible human beings. Current laws have no place for such people, be it rich or poor, and there is no mechanism to spare them the trauma of being lodged with hardened criminals for extended periods of time. Sanjay’s case has held up the hard and unmerciful nature of the current law and justice system that a common man has to face, day in and day out, without a hope and away from all the media glare.