The case rests

Criminal justice procedures are entangled with political power and money muscle to ensure that the rule of law will not prevail

Joginder Singh Delhi

It is customary for the political class to express routine alarm at rising corruption, but they are the partners in the same crime. Former prime minister, AB Vajapayee, stressed his government’s commitment to “zero tolerance of corruption” and confirmed that his government would not bring any pressure to bear on the working of the Central Bureau of Investigation or any other constitutional agency. This was on August 25, 2002. Zero tolerance has become a joke. Market-led liberalisation only created more opportunities for corruption. No new laws, policy reforms or new techniques of investigation were introduced.

The backlog as on February 27, 2006 was as under
Supreme Court                  33,635
High Courts                   33,41,040
Subordinate Courts   2,53,06,458

The process of obtaining justice is seemingly interminable. The accused can take advantage of the cluttered cases to delay the nemesis, until either they or the key witnesses pass away. Investigation at the first step is often shoddy and especially in high-profile cases where loopholes are left as they are. The public is tired of having the big fish get away, or if caught being treated with kid gloves. However, the investigating authorities are not autonomous. They work keeping the legislature and judiciary in mind.