In yet another case of denial of justice, the Bihar High Court has acquitted 23 murderers of Ranvir Sena who lynched 21 people – mostly Dalits, which included women and infants in Bathani Tola village. The fateful incident had happened on July 11, 1996 when the killers went on the killing spree for about two hours as the fortunate survivors had to silently witness their kith and kin dying before their own eyes. And after a prolonged trial for fourteen years, the Sessions court sentenced 3 persons to death and awarded life sentences to another 20. The acquittal of all the 23 accused by the Patna High court now, overturning the lower court verdict, on the ground of “defective evidence,” would explain, as to why the defenseless people in the rural India are getting attracted towards the extremist ideology called naxalism. Now the pertinent question arises as to whether the prosecution witnesses who must have withstood the bullying tactics of Ranvir Sena all these years can now live peacefully in the same village in the midst of the hawks? And most importantly, if any such horrific carnage were to occur again in the vicinity, would any eyewitness like to testify before the courts of law? It is high time the law enforcing mechanism works in tandem with the judicial system to give hope to the Dalits, the tribal people and the minority communities that justice will not be denied to them though there may be delay in the process.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin
KADAPA