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Judgment A Delhi court pronounced the judgment in the famous nine year old BMW hit-and-run-case on Friday. The main accuse Sanjeev Nanda who is the grand son of former Indian Navy Chief S M Nanda was sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment. His co-accused and businessman Rajeev Gupta was found guilty of destruction of evidence by the court and has been sent to one year’s rigorous imprisonment. Except it his two employees who were found red handed while washing the blood stains and pieces of flesh from the BMW car by the police have been sentenced to six month’s jail term.

Incident A fine of Rs 10, 000 on Gupta and of Rs 100 each on his two employees have also been imposed by the Delhi Court. However, Sanjeev Nanda has been spared from any fine. The court had held Nanda, Gupta and his two employees guilty on September 2 but has decided to pronounce the judgment on Wednesday but was postponed and announced on September 5 Friday. Nanda had crushed down six persons to death with the BMW car in January 1999. It must be learnt that he was driving the car in a very inebriated situation. Three of the deceased were policemen. He and the other co-convicts had tried to destroy the evidence also.

Public This court judgment has once again put the belief of the public in the judicial system. There are many examples where accused persons have succeeded  to get themselves free after playing with the evidence. Many scandals have been committed by the Indian political leaders and nothing has happened. They are walking free even though public know that they are the criminals. They, with their political and money power can win every thing and every person. Same had happened in the BMW hit-and-run case as eye-witnesses had turned hostile. It was only because of the alert media that justice could be ensured in this case. The timely sting operation exposed the nexus between Nanda’s Lawyer and the prosecutor. Main eye-witness had been won over by the money power. But they could not succeed to stop the justice from prevailing. It is the victory of the Indian Judiciary, Democracy and the public belief in the Judiciary. It has also sent strong message to the rich that they can not influence the justice with their money power.

Charges Democratic US Presidential candidate, Barack Obama has shook the world by making a sensational charge that Pakistan has misused the US funds for war against terror ‘to prepare for a war against India’. He was being interviewed by News’ Bill O’Reilly when he made the sensational charge. He said that US had sent billions of aid to Pakistan that was ostensibly meant for war against terror. But Pak rulers has used these funds to prepare its military for a possible confrontation against India on its eastern borders. America has provided this aid to Pak even without strings. His remarks are very significant as another bill of $ 15 billion is under consideration in the US Senate that is meant for developmental aid over a period of 10 years. It again lacks enough strings.

Promises He said that if he is elected to the White House he will hold Islamabad accountable for the massive military aid it has received from US for war on terror. He said that he will pressurize the Pak establishment to increase efforts to tackle the Islamic militants who are hiding in the North West Frontier Province.“What we can do is stay focused on Afghanistan and put more pressure on the Pakistanis,” Obama said. His said that he will make it sure that the US aid to Pakistan is targeted against the terrorists hiding in the border state instead of India.

Blasts He also showed concerns about the rising influence of Islamic fundamentalists in Pakistan as Islamabad has not done enough efforts to contain them. Obama’s comments are significant as India has, many times, raised voice against the misuse of US aid by Islamabad. Before it, Pakistan’s military ruler General Zia Ul Haq had also used the US aid against India that was meant to fight against the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. He had fueled the insurgency in some north Indian states. His comments has also rung alarm bells for Islamabad which could not do enough against the militants in recent months because of political instability. After the departure of Musharraf, increased militant strikes inside Pakistan, indicated the increasing influence of militants and their striking power. More than four bomb blasts in a period of one week has put more pressure on the Pak government which during the rule of Musharraf was working with both of he sides. It can be expected that new Pak government will focus on the war against terror instead of its decades’ old approach against India.