IS ENCOUNTER KILLING A SOLUTION TO OUR SLOW JUDICIAL SYSTEM?
Aren’t we all tired by our slow judicial system? After all, our judicial system is infamous for the cumbersome procedure and the delayed justice system. In such a situation, if our police forces take law in their hands and kill the accused, then it’s doesn’t seem a big deal for people, instead, it seems a panacea for our slow justice system. But is it something that should make us happy?
ENCOUNTER KILLINGS
In December 2019, the gang-rape of a veterinary doctor shook the consciousness of the entire nation. But what followed after that was more shocking. All the four accused were killed in an encounter.
Last month, the killing of the father-son duo in police custody in Tamil-Nadu sent a shock-wave to the entire nation. In both these cases, the accused were killed in police custody. However, in the first case, the encounter was celebrated whereas the second case caused outrage among people. Perhaps, the reaction was different because of the higher gravity of the crime committed by the accused in the first case.
In the majority of the cases, encounter killings are celebrated in India. Policemen are not only appreciated by the masses but also get promoted for their so-called commendable act. There is not even an iota of doubt that our judicial system is very slow and the victim usually gets tired in the whole process. But instead of trying to reform the system, we are accepting an alternative which is dangerous for any democracy.
Instead, we should ask some of the very relevant questions like – Why is there a shortage of judges in our country. Why the fast-track-courts are inoperative? Why CCTV cameras don’t work on the streets and what are authorities doing to solve these issues. Encounters may seem to be a nice alternative at a first glance but it defeats the whole purpose of having a judicial system.
CUSTODIAL VIOLENCE
According to the data reported by NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau), between 2001 and 2018, 1727 people died in police custody. Out of these 1727 cases, only 26 policemen were convicted of custodial violence. Also, the conviction of policemen was only from the sates of U.P., M.P., Chattisgarh, and Odisha.
Apart from these states, no other states had convicted the policemen for custodial deaths. States like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra recorded more than 100 cases.
Also, out of 2,000 cases of human rights violations which were reported between 2010 and 2018, only 344 policemen were convicted. The data provides a very dismal picture. Not only the number of reported cases is disturbing but the nominal conviction rates add insult to the injury.
Therefore, it’s high time to not only look into the loopholes of our judicial system but also bring a reform to remove these loopholes.
