By IANS,
New Delhi : Should the sentencing of Sanjeev Nanda, the grandson of former navy chief S.M. Nanda and son of influential arms dealer Suresh Nanda, to five years for killing six people in a hit and run be seen as a test of the judicial system’s ability to take on the powerful?
Many academics and lawyers see this and recent high-profile cases as an indicator of the courts’ power and readiness to take on powerful figures who have often used bribery and authority to escape punishment.
On Friday, 30-year-old Sanjeev Nanda was sentenced to five years in prison for mowing down six people under his BMW in January 1999.
Four months ago, a rich Indian politician’s son Vikas Yadav was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his sister’s boyfriend. His cousin, Vishal, was also convicted.
In December last year, Manu Sharma, son of a Congress party politician, was found guilty of murdering model Jessica Lal in 1999. He, too, was given life after having been acquitted earlier.
And just before that, the son of a senior police official was also given a life sentence for the rape and murder of a college student Priyadarshini Mattoo a decade ago.
“There has been media pressure and that plays a major role in keeping all these cases on the radar. But the imperatives of the situation are working, hence forcing a swing in the pendulum,” says Akila Sivadas, director of the Centre for Advocacy and Research.
“But the inbuilt responses are most important. Is it spurring a wider respect for the law? Is there a civic consciousness which has led to a wider allegiance?” asks Sivadas.
“I think so.”
Though some believe that more needs to be done to shore up the rule of law in India the denouement in most of these cases could well mark the beginning of a trend where the high and mighty are made to pay for their crimes.
“That the rich and powerful can get away with anything is now getting shaken. That is good and the media has done well to stir up that outrage. But there is also a flip side too. If there is excessive media coverage one must make sure that it does not heckle the defence or prosecution,” argues criminal lawyer Nitya Ramakrishnan.
It is clear that a rapidly increasing and fiercely competitive media has made it difficult for the rich and the political class to influence lower courts and manipulate corrupt police forces – an allegation that was often bandied when they were let off with mild sentences.
“Yes, there is a distinct trend one is seeing. Courts are emboldened and this is because of the wide publicity some of these cases have received and the media is a factor,” says senior advocate P.P. Rao.