Imagine going to a court when there were no smartphones and no internet. Imagining it today feels like the world closing in on us. But it was a reality of those times. Now imagine, how much of it has changed already. Smartphones, wifi and technology defines the world we live in. But guess what hasn’t changed? Yes, our system.
Think about it. An 84 year old frail and ill man told that he would be spending the next 10 years of his life in a prison for a crime he committed in a world which was primarily defined by aspects we call backward these days.
This is a case of Vaishali, Bihar, stemming from an armed assault that happened in 1992. The legal battle dragged on for 34 years. The alleged accused were 5 people, it took the system so long that 4 of the 5 people literally passed away, and the last standing man bore the brunt of the verdict. To be honest, no one’s denying that violent and armed assault should be brushed under the rug, but when the state takes 3 years to come up with a verdict, the entire meaning of punishment changes. This case is not just another of the many headlines of judicial paralysis, it is an eye-opening reality.
The question is, what is the point of sentencing an 84 year old man to a rigorous imprisonment for a crime that happened a lifetime ago? When justice takes this long, everybody loses. It lacks a timely closure for the victim and the accused spends his entire life in trials.
What is it if not justice delayed? And justice delayed is justice denied.
