THE ILLUSION OF JUSTICE

The Great Indian Circus

India, a nation that prides itself on being the world's largest democracy, has a judicial system more akin to a circus than a bastion of justice. The recent cases of Atul Subhash's tragic suicide, the heinous Kolkata rape and murder, and the NEET paper leak in 2024 have left the nation reeling, and the judiciary's response has been nothing short of laughable.

Atul Subhash: A Suicide Note Ignored by the Gods of Justice

Atul Subhash, a software engineer, didn't just die; he left a detailed suicide note, a video testament to the harassment he endured, essentially serving the court a platter of evidence. Yet, the wheels of justice, those majestic chariots of yore, seem to have been replaced by rusty bicycles, forever stuck in the mud of bureaucratic inertia. The glacial pace of the investigation, and the apparent disregard for his compelling plea, is a testament not to the system's fallibility, but to its utter indifference. The paternal grandmother's plea for custody of the child was dismissed, and the accused wife was allowed to retain custody. Because, of course, the best way to protect a child is to hand them over to someone accused of driving their father to suicide. His death, a scream into the void, remains unanswered, another statistic in the burgeoning file of unsolved cases. One wonders if a celebrity's suicide note, penned on an expensive monogrammed notepad, might have garnered a speedier response.

The Kolkata Rape: A Stage Show of Ineptitude

The brutal rape and murder in Kolkata wasn't merely a crime; it was a performance of systemic failure, played out on a national stage. The initial police response – let's call it “lethargic” – was more akin to a leisurely stroll than a high-stakes investigation. The subsequent transfer to the CBI, a move that often signifies the police's realization of their own incompetence, only underscores the problem. It's a sad commentary that the only thing faster than the crime itself was the speed at which the blame shifted. The entire affair felt less like a pursuit of justice and more like a poorly choreographed Bollywood drama, replete with plot twists and conveniently misplaced evidence.

NEET Paper Leak: The Annual Leak of Faith

The NEET paper leak, an almost annual event, is less a tragedy and more a predictable farce. It's like a recurring nightmare, where students' dreams are snatched away by a phantom criminal who operates with impunity, year after year. The sheer predictability of it all exposes not just security lapses, but a systemic acceptance of corruption, a casual shrug from those who should be safeguarding the future. It's a testament to our collective apathy, a silent acknowledgement that integrity in examinations is a luxury we can't afford.

But hey, who needs justice when you have a judicial system that's more concerned with saving its own reputation than with serving the people? The fact that India has over 50 million pending cases, with some cases taking decades to resolve, is a badge of honour for our judiciary. And let's not forget the archaic rules, the handwritten testimonies, and the time-consuming witness examinations that make our judicial system the laughingstock of the world.

Suggestions 

So, what can be done to improve this mess? Well, here are a few suggestions:

1. Modernize, modernize, modernize: Get rid of those ancient computers and upgrade to something that doesn't require a PhD in archaeology to operate.
2. More judges, please: We need more judges, not just to clear the backlog of cases, but to actually hear them out and make some sense of the mess.
3. Streamline procedures: Why do we need 500 pages of paperwork to file a simple case? Simplify, simplify, simplify!
4. Get rid of corruption: Okay, this one might be a pipe dream, but a girl can dream, right?
5. Educate, educate, educate: Teach our judges, lawyers, and police officers about human rights, forensic sciences, and basic common sense.

The path to justice in India is paved with good intentions, but these intentions are often swallowed by the swamp of inefficiency and corruption. Until drastic reforms are implemented, the circus will continue, and the innocent will continue to pay the price. The question is: how long will India tolerate this grand, tragic spectacle before demanding a complete overhaul?