Good job going up in smoke : Married to the mob
- Sangai Express Editorial :: April 10, 2013 -
Police rounded up suspects on Satyabhama's killing and mob reaction on April 09 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam
Letting a good job go up in smoke, literally and figuratively speaking.
Time for the State Government, the police, the justice dispensing institution and the public to take a deep breathe and introspect. Reality check, in short. Bouquets and brickbats are in line.
Bouquets for the police personnel who were directly involved in investigating the death of N Satyabhama and brickbats for a section of the public and the think tank of the police as well as the State Government.
A ghastly murder detected on April 5, with the recovery of the lifeless body of a young girl and three suspects in police net by April 9. The good work should be noted.
However all the feel good factor went up in smoke when mobs went on the rampage and torched the houses and the properties of the three accused. More like a good show ending in an anti-climax.
Even as news of the police rounding up three accused in the murder of N Satyabhama did the round, bringing a sense of cheers to the people, it was with a sense of dread that the news about mobs going on the rampage and torching the houses of the three accused were digested.
An indication that while the police was busy congratulating itself on netting the three accused, it overlook one basic, fundamental point—the importance of anticipating the reaction from the public, which has the propensity to morph into a mob at the drop of the hat.
This was not the first time that mobocracy ruled the streets of Imphal and any sensible police force should have foreseen the likely outcome.
That the police was caught on the wrong foot and totally unprepared for the inevitable is writ large on the smouldering remains of the houses and other physical assets.
The failure of the Government to dispense with its duties as the protector and saviour of the citizens and their assets lies exposed here in all its ugliness.
Street justice, this seems to have become the calling card of quite a large number of people but obviously this bare fact has not registered in the minds of the people who matter and it is this which was on full display when the mobs went on the rampage.
Legally and technically speaking, the job is yet to be done, for the three in police net are still accused and not convicts. The work of the police is far from over.
How strong a case can they build against the accused is something which will be known only when the case goes on trial.
This is where the concept of street justice and the increasing trend of mobocracy ought to be studied. Mob culture did not come about overnight.
In many ways it a reflection of how far the confidence and trust of the people in the system has eroded.
A reflection of institutional breakdown and Manipur certainly cannot afford such a situation to fester longer.
This is where the State needs to take one long breath and sincerely study how things have come to such a pass. It is not for nothing that there is the widespread observation that in delivering justice, it is equally important to ensure that justice should also be seen to have been delivered.
The finer nuances of this observation should not be lost on anyone, particularly to people who are there to uphold the rule of law.
Three accused held. A job well done. But this is just the beginning. Make sure that there are no loopholes. Build a strong case.
Start from here and try to reverse the erosion of faith and confidence of the public in the system. This should be the principal guidelines of the police at the moment.
It is also equally important to ensure that the pace moves fast, after all, justice delayed will certainly take off the sheen from all the good work done to put the jigsaw puzzle in place.
The first three pieces may have fallen in place but there are other areas which have to be addressed to.
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