Custodial deaths are a worrisome trend

Fake encounters are nothing but 'cold-blooded murders' planned and executed by police officers with utter disregard to law of land and judicial process often under the pressure from their political masters with an intention not only to hide their professional ineptitude and defective functioning but also to become heroes in the eyes of emotionally surcharged people who demand instant punishment to the accused. (Disha Case: SC probe panel terms encounter 'fake', indicts 10 cops - THI, 21 May 2022).

No doubt, the perpetrators of the grisly rape and murder deserved harshest punishment and the police need to submit irrefutable evidence to strengthen the prosecution to ultimately get the accused convicted and awarded exemplary punishment by the judiciary. If cops are not confined to their stipulated role of probe and investigation and try to usurp the powers of courts, it will be tantamount to judiciary being undermined and superseded by the very people who are assigned with the official duty of maintaining law and order. If cops don't have belief in judiciary, how will a citizen be expected to have belief in judiciary?

The police is constantly criticised for acting in favour of political establishments and in violation of human rights and civil liberties which is immensely contributing to their sagging image. The reforms to free cops from the clutches of vested political interests to make them function independently, honestly and efficiently are long overdue and there is no strong political will to make progress in this direction for the reasons best known to everyone. The police will continue to fail to win the hearts of people as long as they function under the command of politicians in power.

It is everybody's knowledge that the police frequently go beyond their remit with impunity as they are seldom prosecuted and punished for taking law into their hands which also emboldens many a cop to further persecute the poor and the underprivileged. Would the cops have killed the accused in Disha case in the encounter had the accused enjoyed money power and political clout?

The unending custodial deaths of the arrested belonging to marginalised sections of society, dissenters of government being charged under sedition laws, brutality against peaceful protesters, reluctance apathy and insensitivity in responding to the complaints of common man and predilection for serving the interests of political leadership are fast becoming the characteristics of the police which are unacceptable to civil society. It is high time to reform the police not only to make them more humane, polite and sensitive to the people's needs and grievances but also to make them accountable for their actions where erroneous cops can't go scot free.

Narne Raveendra Babu,

Hyderabad

II

The conclusion of the SC- appointed panel apart, the panelists do not seem to have gone through or visualised the pain of the lady who was ravaged and killed. They seem to be indifferent to the anguish and sorrow of her kith and kin . They can be happy as having arrived at some conclusion unmindful of the emotional upheaval the murder caused to so many. Justice rest in peace.

J Kannan, Hyderabad

III

All right-thinking people, government circles hailed the encounter of Disha rape criminals. The unfortunate 26-year-old veterinarian was most brutally and heinously raped by a gang and burnt her alive. The cruelty meted out by her is unimaginable and horrible to think even by women tribe. Encountering them all is fully and whole heartedly appreciable. Similar encounter took place much earlier in Warangal when two miscreants spilled acid on two girls and one succumbed to acid injuries and another probably lost sight. Policemen were garlanded by all women.

No commission was instituted at that time. Disha case is much more horrendous in nature. Sirpurkar Commission explained the way and manner the encounter took place. Some cases of such in nature are beyond the purview of law. Law only speaks blindly as per the texts without going through natural justice with logical reasoning.

The encounters took place may be with the consent of the government. Now raking up this issue and punishing the police would strengthen the rapists in future and our slumbering courts can never dispose of cases within a time frame. There was a news that after 108 years, judgement was delivered in land dispute case. "Justice delayed" is most suitable in respect of Indian judicial system. The hard-core criminals come out of incarceration by acquiring good performance appraisals. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassin Perarivalan freed from prison is the latest glaring example to cite. It is better and advisable to close the chapter instead of probing further in Disha case encounter to render justice to the victim.

N Ramalakshmi, Secunderabad

IV

When a guilty accused is handed over extreme punishments of either life imprisonment or execution have the right to appeal., the killing of the 4 accused for the rape offence of Disha is most condemnable.

This however, is not to belittle and downplay the committment of the crime per se. The appointment of a committee of enquiry into the encounter which is being termed fake was a postmortem which could have been totally avoided. The matter which was taken up by the apex court & now to be done by the HC, could well have been avoided.( Had the killings not taken place)

What were the compelling circumstances for the police to eliminate the four accused needs to be ascertained.

The veil of secrecy purported to be maintained lends credence to needless doubts on integrity which as the apex court rightly opines is not right. The HC has now to conclude the final verdict quickly and set a precedent for future rulings in matters of encounter killings. Hope it will be a trend setting landmark & judgement.

N R Raghuram, Hyderabad