Once again the TT gang is out to defame CJI

Like dog's curtailed tail it is impossible to strengthen the dirty mindset of the infamous Tukde-Tukde gang or the TT gang. The gang which is a cog in the gigantic anti India machine has in the past too, indulged in nefarious activities.

The gang with the blessings of some political parties and anti-India forces operating from abroad had maligned the image of the higher judiciary by branding four incumbent Chief Justices of India (CJIs) either as corrupt, inefficient, partisan or persons of lose character. The gang even had tried in vain to bring the motion of impeachment against a former CJI and levelled baseless charges of sexual harassment of a ministerial staff against another.

Therefore, there is nothing new in a few hundred concerned citizens with deep political affiliations writing a letter to the CJI Sharad A Bobde for his alleged derogatory remarks against a rape victim in the form of a query to an accused as to whether he was ready to marry the woman as per written agreement entered between him and the victim girl. To this, the accused answered in negative.

The TT gang picked up this single query to malign the CJI and thereby entire judiciary. The gang shouted in chorus that the CJI's thinking was retrograde and he was unconcerned of the victim's interests. In the same breath, the gang demanded unconditional apology and resignation from the CJI.

In fact, there is no water in the reckless allegations made by the gang. In course of hearing of a case it is quite common in the courts all over the world that the Judges pass some comments, make observations and put queries to the parties. However, all that transpires in the court does not become the basis of a judgement or does not become binding decision.

Unfortunately, some of the 'learned' members of the TT gang who have had the honour of being a part of the justice delivery system of the country, also lost sight of the difference between the 'obiter dicta' and the 'ratio decidendi'.

The legal fraternity through different Bar Associations and the statutory body, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has rightly condemned the TT gang's illegal, immoral and anti-national misadventure, but let the buck stop not here. This is certainly not a case of fair criticism which the law permits but this is a case of calling a Judge of the Supreme Court by name and deliberate attempt to lower the majesty of law. Hence, let the Apex court haul up the entire gang for casting aspersions on the Judges of the highest Court under Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 and show the gang its rightful place.

Sordid tale of 20 years jailbird

His name is Vishnu Tiwari, a life imprisonment convict of rape and insulting the SC/ST community person by caste. He already spent over 20 years in Agra jail after his arrest on September 16, 2000. Now the Allahabad High Court has come to his rescue and reversed the judgement of the lower court citing inconsistencies in witnesses' evidence and lack of proof of the offence of rape.

Tiwari, now 43 is a helpless person. He has completely broken down physically as well as morally. Nobody came to receive him at the gate of the Agra jail. He boarded for an overnight journey to his village with just Rs 600 in his pocket. This amount was given to him by the prison authorities at the time of his release.

Tiwari's case may be termed as an isolated case involving miscarriage of justice, but it certainly raises several pertinent questions. Who is to compensate Tiwari and his likes for having to had languished in the prison for such a long period of over two decades? How is he going to be compensated for the loss of freedom, youth and opportunities? Whether the people responsible for his lengthy incarceration would be punished and if so, how soon? When the legal jurisprudence ordains that let 99 guilty people go scot free for the lack of evidence and other reasons, but let one innocent person not be punished, what effective measures all three pillars of the Constitution have taken so far is also a moot question.

*Need to discipline corporate hospitals

While it is true that some of the corporate hospitals spread over major cities and other urban areas render yeoman services in medical and surgical fields, it is also true that most of these hospitals are nothing but big business establishments. Mostly built with tax exempted incomes from agriculture, export and foreign earnings, their hunger for maximisation of earnings never satiates. The government regulations with regard to reserving beds for the poor are more followed in breach than compliance. In fact, in the name of superior services, these business tycoons fleece the public. Barring a few, most of the meritorious doctors are also exploited by such money hungry sharks.

What is still worse is the arbitrary and high- handed manner in which hefty bills under one pretext or the other are slapped on the patient's relatives by the hospital management. This is nothing but extortion, also called, arm twisting . Though there are rules which require the hospitals to prominently display a board detailing charges for various services rendered by the hospital, they are hardly followed and there is obviously no effort to educate the people about them.

But the worst among unethical medical practices is the refusal by the hospital management to hand over the dead body of a person who succumbs during treatment. Added to this, these hospitals also coerce the bereaved and mourning relatives to shell down several lakhs of rupees in the name of full and final settlement of their bill. They do not budge on their demand and hold the dead body for ransom.

This is nothing but extortion and pure extortion. Unfortunately, except judiciary no other authority of law comes to the rescue of the victims in such a situation. Most of the people connected with regulating the working of corporate hospitals are hand in gloves with the latter. Politicians too, make a hey in such a grim situation. Indeed, there is an urgent need to put to an end such menace. It is high time the high court takes suo motu cognisance of the matter and issues appropriate orders to save the relatives of the deceased person from added agony and insult at a time of the death of the dear and near one.

AP govt, ready for the CBI probe

The issue relating to the Special Investigation Team probe ordered by the present State government of Andhra Pradesh into allegations of large-cale scam through the sale of lands near Amaravati , in anticipation of the establishment of new state capital there after the bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in 2014 and subsequent filing of the FIR naming several high profile individuals as accused, after which the state high court had granted stay, came up for hearing in the Supreme Court recently.

During the hearing, significantly the State government expressed its readiness to accept the court-monitored probe by the CBI and also to extend its full support to the CBI during investigation. The bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice R. Subhash Reddy, however, adjourned the matter to March 8.

SC to switch over to hybrid mode of hearing

After consulting different bar associations the Supreme Court has decided to introduce the hybrid mode of hearing of the cases from March 15. The apex court issued the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) giving a slew of guidelines to the stake holders.