Encounter of four accused in the Hyderabad Disha case; police action fooled CM and Courts!

Hyderabad: Mahaparinirvan Diwas, the death anniversary of Bharata Ratna BR Ambedkar, the builder of the rule of law of the young nation India, passed on with Telangana police making headlines at the national level. The latter made sensational news by killing four accused in the gang rape of Disha, Hyderabad veterinarian, today. Cyberabad Police Commissioner told media that they reached the crime spot at the early hours (December 6, 2019) for crime scene reconstruction. During which the accused suddenly snatched weapons from the officials and started firing. The police returned fire that resulted in the death of the four accused on the spot.

The same story is repeatedly told by police to justify their fake encounter. Perhaps, officials have repeated the account a hundred times — accused were taken to the crime spot, they suddenly snatched weapons, started firing, and in self-defence, the police were compelled to kill them. In Warangal, the accused in an acid attack of two young girls were killed in a similar encounter with an indistinguishably unbelievable narration of self-defence. The same was repeated without any hesitation.

When such an incident happened in the past, police should have gained experience. While accused were taken to the crime spot, they should have acted cautiously, called for TV channels for a live telecast or had department video recording the incident.

Fast track court, faster execution!

In response to overwhelming protests, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao ordered the institution of fast track court to try this case, which was approved by the High Court. It has become infructuous now. The police fooled the government and the judiciary, exhibited a contempt for the justice system, and donned the role of a jailer and executioner.

In one stroke, the police have rendered constitutional government, law, courts, investigation and jails useless and irrelevant. If this is the case, do we need judges and prisons? Should we assume the consent of people to remove courts of law and prosecution to save crores of tax money? Then the question remains what will be the fate of hundreds of proceedings of rape cases in the state? Will the investigations and prosecutions go on? Should we kill all of them?

If this is justice — natural or constitutional — why have the Constitution of India or courts of justice? What we need, perhaps, is a police officer with a gun. Nobody should ask what definite proof you have to prove the crime against the four accused. What would be the case when one of the accused was later established not involved or implicated, or some other fellow was behind it?

Should anyone question using his/her right to know or express opinion under Article 19(1) (a) of Constitution of India? Is it true that the accused tried to escape from the custody while the police were doing a scene recreation? If that is true, should we assume that our police are weak, inefficient and disorganised? They failed to suspect that the accused could try to escape. Are we to believe that they were unprepared to face the attack from the accused while in custody? Are the accused so strong that they could snatch police weapons while in care?

In a democracy, the people are the real judges. However, it does not mean that executions can happen through mob lynching. In the criminal justice system, capital punishment is not abolished. It is legally possible to eliminate criminals like the accused in Disha or Nirbhaya cases.

Besides social media, politicians of various national and regional parties welcomed the encounter. Hyderabad, capital of Telangana, is agog with an appreciation for the Cyberabad (part of Hyderabad) Police. Twitter opinions were pouring in, more in favour of police action and Facebook users hailing instant justice with thousands of likes and emoticons. Twitter teachers praised Telangana rulers and police as heroes of the Indian justice system, which other states and nation should follow. Unfortunately, the majority of social media users accepted this illegal police action based on the untruthful statement. Some senior journalists, storywriters, artistes and so-called intellectuals on Facebook are positively moved by this action as if it was a new welfare scheme by the Telangana government — “Justice in ten days”. On this day, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar died.

If this is the case, in every city the police commissioner should be given additional duties of the Chief Metropolitan Judge, to endorse evidence produced by TVs and social media, and direct an armed police officer to kill the accused in ‘encounter’. It is a trial by police with the help of sensational media and senseless social media based on emotions, not evidence.

The sequence of events is baffling. A few individuals gang rape a hapless woman and a team of police officers kill the accused while they were in their custody. The criminals tell untrue statements to police officers and the latter lied to press and people.

The police showed their bravery and skill in killing those in custody, thus surpassed a Rajinikanth of celluloid world where only the hero can do a complete, meticulous justice through beating and killing. Meanwhile, the young and old, healthy and weak, watch the hero with admiration, while dozens of henchmen sacrifice their lives with a significant commitment to the cause.

Ambedkar probably couldn’t understand in the initial days of Constitution-making, around 70 years ago, that speedy justice is possible as proved by the Cyberabad police team. Otherwise, he would have incorporated it in the Constitution as the Rajinikanth clause!