While we do not say that the accused should have been awarded capital punishment, we do not support the current sentence too. It is no exemplary punishment.
The country is under a wave of pessimism these days. First the economic policies, then the social policies and now the law of the country is giving us headache.
A rape convict, from the gang of six and supposedly the most brutal of all, was found to be juvenile at the time of commitment of crime. The crime was committed on the night of December 16, 2012, when a paramedical student was raped by these six accused in a moving bus and brutalised to death.
The trial of other convicts is still on while the verdict on the sixth, the juvenile who turned 18 in the police custody recently, came today. He has been awarded a sentence of three years to be served in a special home by the Juvenile Justice Board.
Is this justice to the woman who was raped and then shoved an iron rod in her belly making her gut fall out? Is this justice well served to the boy who was beaten blue and black and made to watch rape of his friend in all the horror? Or is this justice to the family of that brave girl?
While we do not say that the accused should have been awarded capital punishment, we do not support the current sentence too. It is no exemplary punishment.
What will happen after three years?
The guilty is no more a juvenile. He deserves a jail. Even if we try to believe that three years will reform him, what is the guarantee that it will transform him and change his soul?
We are looking at a demonic situation. This is an encouragement to those minors who are involved in criminal activities. Just now we have been informed that the fifth Mumbai rape convict is a juvenile too. Next we will see that he too will go scot-free.
The bench needs to understand the gravity of the situation. And the lawmakers know what their next task is going to be. We must ensure stringent laws towards rape accused and the laws in case of juveniles need to be looked into again.
Else, we may find a line of such juvenile criminals fearlessly roaming and infesting the society.
Till when we are going to tread on a thin line in our justice system? So far the Indian system has neither been able to reform the criminals to much extent nor has it been able to serve timely justice to victims.
You can reform or change a person who commits a crime in the spur of a moment. You can teach him to control his rage and senses. But those who have criminal mind and souls cannot be reformed. They deserve jail, they deserve death.
One can say that an eye for an eye is surely not a solution. But don’t we award death sentence to the murder accused?
In fact, in case of murder, victim dies. But in case of rape, victim may or may not die. The victim is scarred for life.
Inducing fear is one option which can be well served through accepting the process of chemical castration. Or else, as the mother of the victim said, we may well release him now.
