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Law, Rich and Poor According to the Indian constitution all the Indian people are equal. But recent incidents present some other story. It looks that this is only a written term and in real life the difference becomes evident between rich and poor when every time poor are humiliated by the rich who use their money power and influence in every sphere of society and government to get the desired results. Providing facilities, rich and influential people are always kept in the fore front and when it is the time to face problems then poor are pushed ahead. Poor remain behind bars for years even for petty crimes and mostly without any kind of enquiry or hearing while rich and influential people easily get ‘justice’ mostly according to their ‘own terms’. With the use of money and influence they play games with the law, create problems in the way of fare enquiry and get benefited because of their acquaintances. Delhi BMW hit and run case is just an example of this prevalent reality.

BMW Hit and Run Case Former Indian Navy Chief Late Mr S M Nanda’s grandson Sanjeev Nanda on January 10, 1999 had hit a group of some people with his BMW and had ran from the spot.  In this hit and run case six people including three police personal were crushed to death. According to some eyewitnesses, Nanda was driving the car at that time while two of his friends were sitting in the car. They all were in an abbreviated condition. This case took ten years and a few days ago Delhi High Court gave its verdict on the appeal of the related case. There are possibilities that this case will reach the Supreme Court  and if it happens then it will take many years and the result of which will be of no hope of getting justice to the bereaved families. This case proves only one fact that ‘justice delayed means justice denied’. Grandson of an influential grandfather and son of an arms dealer has succeeded in decreasing the time of his imprisonment from five years to two years with the use of money and his influence.

Fool Play This case has seen many ups and downs. At one point it was said that it was a truck not a car that had hit the group standing by roadside and had crushed then to death. When this incident had happened it looked that this case is very clear and Nanda will not be spared as many people had seen him driving the car. But as the hearing in this case progressed we saw the ‘truth blown to pieces’. Eyewitnesses were feared and bought. A TV channel had launched a sting operation and telecasted it.  This sting operation had exposed ‘deal conversation’ between layers of both the parties and an eyewitness. Both the lawyers were punished for this unpardonable crime. But they had escaped merely by staying out of court for four months and paying the fine of 2000 rupees each. All it indicates that for rich and influential people Indian law is just a ‘play game’.

Sabharwal Case It was satisfactory fact for the ‘justice lovers’ that the lower court had at least announced five years of imprisonment to the influential culprits. But the high court has just decreased the time of imprisonment in the name of justice. Everyone is stunned and disgraced with this Delhi Court Judgment. Those people have been shocked who talk about the ‘rule of law’ and ‘all are equal in the eye of law’ believers  Just a week before the final verdict on the Delhi BMW hit and run case, a Madhya Pradesh court had given its judgment in the Professor Sabharwal murder case. It must be learnt that group of  BJP’s Madhya Pradesh student wing AKhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad leaders has beaten Professor Sabharwal to death in the physical presence of people, police and media cameras. State Chief Minister did his utmost to save the youth wing leaders of his party. That is why the murders have been acquitted though there was enough evidence to prove them guilty. It must be learnt that this case had been shifted to the neighboring state Maharashtra. In the judgment the judge has clearly written that all the eyewitnesses have given wrong statements. Among the eyewitnesses there were many Madhya Pradesh high ranked police officials. Because of it the crime could not be proved.

Humiliation of Law Whether the matter is of acquittal of Sabharwal’s murderers or imprisonment to Sanjeev Nanda the courts only talk about wrong statements of the eyewitnesses. In reality not only the eyewitnesses as well as he courts are dealing softly with the culprits. In the Professor Sabharwal murder case TV cameras’ recordings could be used as evidence but the court did not bother even to consider about them. In the Sanjeev Nanda case the High Court judges totally changed the decision of the lower court by using different section of the constitution. But striking fact is that these courts which have ‘soft corners’ for the rich and influential people can keep the poor behind bars even without hearing their cases for years. All it proves that it is the humiliation of rule of law and justice in the name of law in India.