Just a few hours before India raised her head high hoisting national flag on the eve of 61st Republic Day a gruesome incident took place when an Additional District Collector Mr. Yashwant Sonaware was burnt alive in broad daylight by oil mafia. This heinous crime was witnessed at Panewadi oil depot near Manmad Town in Nashik district near Mumbai, the financial capital of our country.
The place is notorious for activities like adulteration of kerosene. On 25th January the Additional District Collector of Malegaon was returning to his headquarters from a place named Chandwad. On the way at Jondhwadi, near Panewadi, he noticed the black-act in full swing during broad daylight. He immediately ordered the concerned officials to bring the culprits to book and register cases against them. He stopped his car (MH-41-A-999) and it is said that he video-recorded everything in his mobile-camera.
The official’s heated arguments with the pugnacious goons turned into scuffle; further took the ugliest dimension when he was set on fire alive. Sensing the impending calamity, his personal assistant and the driver of the car ran away for life. According to an eyewitness, the body was badly burnt beyond recognition. Police claim to have arrested four persons, including Popat Shinde aged 50, the kingpin of the racket. Shinde already has several cases registered against him.
As usual the chief minister came out with a relief package for the affected family and ensured stern action against the culprits. It is needless to explain that such a dare-devilry on the part of anti-social elements is not possible sans a strong backing from the police and politicians. Corruption in the corridors of power as well as the police department has given rise to such a chaotic situation not only in Maharashtra, Bihar or U.P. but across the whole nation. Political opponents of the ruling parties look at these mishaps only as opportunities to criticise their rivals.
We do not have a very bright history of punishing criminals strictly. The situation is other way round. It is an irony that in our county the innocent accused are acquitted after detainment of sixteen years or so since there is no proper evidence to convict them while our system has spared the murderers like Dara Singh who had burnt alive a Christian missionary, Graham Steins, and his two little sons in Orissa on 22 January 1999. Until now the fellow has not been punished. Though the sessions court awarded him the death sentence, after twelve years, Judges in the High Court are in vacillation as to Dara Singh must be hanged or sentenced to life imprisonment.
Similarly, Sunil Sharma of Tandoor murder who burnt his wife Naina Sahni’s body after murdering her in cold blood, man-eaters Moninder and Surinder Koli of Nithari, ex-DGP of Haryana Mr. S.P.S. Rathod who molested a school girl Ruchika Girhotra and ruined a whole family; killers of Nitish Kataria, Jessica Lall and many other notorious criminals are still unpunished. Is this not a severe demerit of our judicial system?
Unless the murderer is hanged, the number of murders will not come down; unless the rapist is severely punished, the womenfolk will not be safe and secure. If the killer is executed at the earliest the message will go to all those who intend to take law in their hands. Therefore, death sentence is not merely a punishment; it is also a stern warning to one and all that no killer would be spared.
Justice delayed is justice denied. So there is an urgent need to amend our laws. In dealing with criminals, we are still continuing with outdated methods which were framed by the colonial rulers during the British Raj. If the revenue falls short, the finance ministers invent new ways of imposing taxes; when will the home ministers begin to research in existing laws to bring down the number of murders? When will new and more stringent laws be enacted to ensure timely punishment to criminals? When ordinary killers are spared, what about political heavyweights like Narendra Modi or Padam Singh Patil (Maharashtra) who carry accusations of murders?
Has the time not yet come for us to realise the truth in divine laws that proclaim ‘an eye for an eye and tooth for the tooth’? Is it not appropriate that the Most Compassionate and Most Merciful Creator of the universe Himself prescribes the code: “O you who believe! Retribution is prescribed for you in cases of killing; if a freeman is guilty then the freeman; if a slave is guilty then the slave; if a female is guilty then the female. But if something of a murderer’s guilt is remitted by his brother, this should be adhered to in fairness, and payment be made in a goodly manner. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord; and for him who transgresses after that there is a painful chastisement.” (The Qur’ān 2:178)