Communal forces of India are not happy with the death sentence given to 11 people out of 31 they wish for death sentence to all the 94 accused.
Justice PRP Patil in a special court in Sabarmati jail sentenced 11 people to death and 20 to life imprisonment in 2002 Godhra case. It is believed that our country’s law is strong and takes an unbiased decision. But if we analyse other matters and cases besides Godhra, we would find that the other courts or judges do not display justice as the court in Sabarmati jail has shown. If law is blind then it should have the same attitude towards every accused as it was done to the accused in Godhra train incident case.
Be it post Godhra riots or violence in other parts of the country, those who were guilty of the unjust deaths of lakhs of human beings were not sentenced to death even after years of legal remedy. The confession of the public prosecutor JM Panchal who defended Godhra case is worth considering that ‘this is the first case in country’s history in which several people were sentenced at one time’. The court feels that this case is one of the rare cases as the court has accepted conspiracy theory based on the evidences found in the train burning incident.
Several incidents have taken place in the country in which people were massacred under conspiracy theory. In the aftermath of Godhra incident in every town, in every nook and corner it was conspired to burn Muslims alive but law and justice failed to give opinion on this aspect. Besides Gujarat, crimes were committed with planned conspiracies in several parts of the country to target a particular community but none of them who were guilty of crime was sentenced to death.
Vigilance, efficiency and sincerity on the part of court, law, public prosecutor and ruling class in Godhra case is no doubt praise worthy but it is one-sided. They have done a great task to please their people. This is not an ordinary case for them as in a secular country like India there are innumerous non secular characters who like an octopus having multiple tentacles or a deep rooted tumor are use the law according to their wishes and keep lawyers under their influence.
Following court’s verdict in Godhra case how the communal forces are nurturing their interests is evident by the verdict of special fast track court. Subsequent to the Godhra incident violation of human rights has been done by trying to declare anyone accused of riots. People were caught and brought from here and there and were dragged in the dock but no human rights organisation paid attention towards it. In has not been revealed as to what sort of controversial remarks have been made and what feelings have been expressed by the judge of the special court in his verdict comprised of 850 pages. Only after reading the complete matter of the verdict the human rights organizations and other justice loving institutions could take the subsequent step.
There are no two opinions that all the 11 people sentenced to death can appeal in the higher court against the verdict. If any one justifies Gujarat violence in the backdrop of this verdict then it would be none other than communal organizations. Instead of declaring Gujarat Chief Minister Narendar Modi (who longed to leap towards prime ministerial post) guilty of post-Godhra riots, this verdict would be used as a legal weapon to protect those who were guilty of Gujarat riots.
But justice demands that all the cases of Gujarat Muslim carnage should be immediately resolved and guilty should be punished. Discrimination should not be done in the matter of providing justice. Moreover this matter is controversial for several reasons. After this verdict the question arises why the matter of law and justice or the criteria of court rulings are not used in other cases. The honourable court has sentenced 11 people to death and 20 others to life imprisonment but has ignored many aspects of the case and arguments of the prosecutor.
The idea of unbiased judiciary and sovereignty of law is prevailing in the country so the sentenced persons will have to carry out effective preparation to seek justice from the higher courts because the court has apparently wrapped up the verdict against them in the haversack of time.