Click to play videoHundreds came out on Thursday in support to CNN-IBN protest march to demand justice in Ruchika Girhotra molestation case. Many are upset with the verdict in the case and have raised questions over the country's judiciary system.
Experts believe it is a nauseating display of how the powerful can misuse state power.
Nineteen years ago former DGP SPS Rathore molested 14-year-old Ruchika but the court sentenced him only six months imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on him.
The question that was being asked on CNN-IBN's Face The Nation was: Ruchika case: Do the powerful always protect the powerful? To try and answer the question on the panel of experts were: Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, senior lawyer R K Anand, lawyer in Ruchika case Meet Malhotra and Managing Partner Counselage Suhel Seth.
At the start of the show, 94 per cent of those who voted in said yes, the powerful always protect the powerful while six per cent disagreed.
Where's The Justice?
Opening the debate, Kiran Bedi tagged the Ruchika molestation case as a "classic case of total failure of every system".
She said it is very concerning that how the powerful are protecting the powerful in the country.
"There is not a single agency which has performed its duty. Everyone has failed in his duty, be it powerful politicians, bureaucrats or policemen. Even the civil society failed as the school authority did not go out complaining," Kiran said.
R K Anand however had a different argument to make. He said that people should dump this notion that if they are powerful they can't be tried by the law and can seek justice easily.
Taking on the then DGP of Haryana Police R R Singh, who prepared the departmental inquiry report in Ruchika molestation case, Anand questioned, "Why did he (R R Singh) not pass the order that a case should be registered against Rathore?"
Brazen Use of State Power
An agitated Suhel Seth said he is angered with the entire system.
"The police in this country are as honest as they choose to be. By and large they are a dishonest bunch of people because the politician-policemen nexuses is so complete in the country that one rouge needs the other in order to survive and to pursue the mechanism," he pointed.
However, giving some hope for getting justice in Ruchika molestation case, Meet Malhotra said the CBI will ask for enhancement of sentence in the case.
"The result as it stands today is very shameful. It is too little and far too late and to my mind it is completely unacceptable," he said.
To this Seth suggested that CNN-IBN should take a step forward from its candlelight vigils and pledge to work on Ruchika's case and the loopholes in the criminal laws.
"We need to make sure that another Ruchika doesn't have to die," he emphasised.
Is It All Up To The Media?
Kiran agreed with Seth and said media is the only option left and it will have to provoke people to fight for justice.
"Media's corporate social responsibility has to be to awaken people, unite people for the right causes. If media doesn't report Ruchika's case how will people know about it," the former IPS officer said.
"Cases of negligence should be filed in this case, Rathore should lose his pension and media should continue to follow this case. We need time-bound trails," Kiran suggested.
To this Seth said it is true that the only way to bring the bureaucrats in the dock is to shame them publicly which only media can do.
Malhotra also agreed with Kiran on her systematic failure statement and said he can just pray that more Ruchikas don't take place in the country.
Concluding the debate, Kiran said the country has no rule of law.
"We have rules and we have laws but we have no rule of law," she explained.
Results of the SMS/web poll:
Yes: 95 per cent
No: 5 per cent
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
PHOTOGALLERY
