There are two thoughts in my mind regarding this whole matter. One, money always attracts attention. No, no, thats not what I am trying to say. What I am trying to say is that for media, the only injustice worth fighting for is the injustice that occurs in the circle of the high and mighty.
At the same time there is a corollary to the above fact. The people are sick and tired of seeing the rich and powerful get away with anything and everything they commit. The urban population, being closer to the mainstream media, got active because they had to means to do so, with blogs, email campaigns and SMS's. The English national media only got into it because their target demographic was getting into it. but I think i digress. The main point is that the public anger is having its effect, and I pray that Jessica, and also Priyadarshini Mattoo, another wronged victim, get their fair share of justice and respect.
Another important point here is that the government still doesnt seem to be interested in formulating witness protection programs. I have no doubt that the witnesses in this case must've been threatened and enticed by manu Sharma, his family or his posse. Why isnt the media taking this issue up? What, no immediate benefits? We need a witness protection programme and thats that. Are you listening, O Supreme Court?
While thousands are still wronged in our heartlands, there is no sms campaign or chain emails to fight for their cause. As the phone and television revolution makes inroads into the country, I hope all of us will live in a state of justice and equality. Only today I read that Nitish Kumar, the CM of Bihar, is trudging along with his plan to give cash for weapons and it is slowly bearing fruit. The police are glad there is somebody who gave them power to act, and the criminals are wondering if bad days lie ahead. Of course, in all parts of the country, the politicians still manage to get away, but I wait for the day when they are lynched in the main square of every town of every state.
Fear returns for Jessica 'killers'
Admitting the police appeal against the acquittal of all accused in the
Jessica Lall murder case, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued bailable
warrants against nine persons, including Manu Sharma, and asked them not to
leave the country.
A division bench of Justice Manmohan Sarin and Justice Manju Goel
restrained the acquitted persons from leaving the country till further orders
and asked them to appear before the court on April 18, the next date of hearing.
The bailable warrants were issued after Additional Solicitor General Gopal
Subramaniam and state counsel Mukta Gupta sought non-bailable warrants against
those acquitted in the case on the grounds that one of them had already
left for the United States and others may follow.
The Delhi police had earlier challenged February 21 acquittal order by
the then Additional Sessions Judge S L Bhayana against the nine persons. The
appeal cited 92 grounds, on which the prosecution sought to assail the judgement
delivered by the trial judge.
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Another related incident that happened recently was that Bina Ramani, the socialite on whose property the murder was committed, spoke to the media, and said that people were treating them like the killers. She says she and her family were supportive of the Lall family all along. Oh shut your trap. Rich people with power are the evil-doers, while rich people without power are just pussies shaking in the formers wake. But according to this CNN-IBN report, she and her daughter told the court that the suspect "did look like that person."
We're wrong targets: Bina Ramani
Delhi Police decision to issue lookout notices against socialite Bina
Ramani, her husband George Mailhot, their daughter Malini Ramani and Bollywood
actor Shayan Munshi - the prime witnesses in the Jessica Lal murder case - is
drawing sharp reactions.
Bina Ramani, one of the witnesses in the case says she and her family
members are being unfairly targeted.
Socialite Ramani met Delhi Police
Commissioner K K Paul in connection with the case on Monday.
Ramani was
accompanied by her fashion designer daughter Malini, who is also a key witness
in the case.
She is upset with the Delhi police for having issued lookout
notices against her and the three others and says it puts them all in the same
league as the witnesses who had turned hostile.
This, despite the fact Ramani-owned Tamarind Court - the scene
of crime - was serving liquor without valid licence and the Ramanis were also
accused of cleaning up crucial evidence.
The notices have been sent to all international airports and sea-ports to
ensure the witnesses do not leave India without police permission. Bina Ramani
holds a British passport while Mailhot is Canadian.
Similar lookout notices
agaist the prime accused Manu Sharam and Vikas Yadav have already been
issued.
Its because of all the flip-flops in the case that the only thing that Bina
can think is protection to herself and to others in similar position.
"Why can't they protect their witnesses?" she asks.
Apart from the
Ramanis, who has hosted the party, Shayan Munshi – a struggling model at the
time and now a small-time Bollywood actor - was also filling in as the bartender
with Jessica when she was shot.
Shayan, on whose statement the FIR was lodged, later turned hostile.
The Ramanis had allegedly washed the premises after the incident thereby
destroying evidence in the case.
In a trial that went on for seven long years, 99 out of 100 witnesses
turned hostile and finally a trial court in Delhi acquitted all nine accused,
including Manu Sharma and Vikas Yadav.
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