Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Mob and justice: On the Alwar lynching case verdict

Mob and justice: On the Alwar lynching case verdict

Alwar verdict flags need for stern (कठोर, सख्त) steps to ensure justice in lynching cases

The thin line between culpable (punishable, reckless, reprehensible, blameworthy, guilty, censurable, wicked) homicide and murder under Indian penal law is a subject (विषय) of endless analysis, but it is not easy to accept this nuanced (सूक्ष्म) distinction (difference, dissimilarity, variation) in a case of mob lynching. A Sessions Court (सत्र न्यायालय) in Alwar district of Rajasthan has sentenced (pass judgement on, impose a sentence on, pronounce sentence on, mete out punishment to, punish, convict) four men to a prison term of seven years for the lynching of a Muslim dairy (relating to the production of milk) farmer in July 2018. However, it acquitted (declare innocent, exonerate, absolve; discharge, release, free (from a criminal charge)) Naval Kishore, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad functionary (पदाधिकारी), for want of (के अभाव में) sufficient evidence. If one recalls (remember, recollect, call to mind; bring to mind, evoke, allude to) the acquittal (declaration of innocence, clearing/discharge/release, absolution) of all those tried for the 2017 murder of Pehlu Khan, who was also a victim of cow vigilantism (unofficial way of punishing crime by a self-appointed group of people), there is a semblance of justice for Rakbar Khan, 31, who was attacked by a mob while transporting two cows along with a friend near Lalawandi village in Alwar. The police had found Rakbar Khan with serious injuries, to which he succumbed (die from, pass away as a result of, be a fatality of, fall victim to (a disease or injury)) later, presumably (शायद, सम्भवतः) due to the delay in taking him for medical treatment. If one takes into account the number of attacks, some of them fatal (घातक), involving so-called (तथाकथित) cow protection gangs in various States in recent years, the record of the criminal justice system in successfully prosecuting (मुकदमा चलाना) those involved in such incidents is quite dismal (निराशाजनक). In this backdrop (पृष्ठभूमि), the fact that (तथ्य यह है कि) the police in Alwar managed to obtain a conviction (दोषसिद्धि) is noteworthy (worthy of mention, significant, important, noticeable, interesting, impresssive). However, that the assailants (attacker, assaulter) were found guilty (at fault, culpable, accountable/responsible for misconduct) only of culpable homicide (the killing of one human being by another human being; murder, killing, massacre) not amounting to murder and wrongful restraint (Section 339 of IPC speaks about the offence of wrongful restraint as “Whoever voluntarily obstructs any person so as to prevent that person from proceeding in any direction in which that person has a right to proceed, is said wrongfully to restrain that person”) does raise some concern. A conviction for murder would have entailed (require, necessitate, demand, call for, be grounds/reason for, warrant, involve) at least life imprisonment (the act of putting someone in prison, life terms (until death)).

Rakbar Khan’s family is justly (justifiably, rightly, properly, reasonably) aggrieved (disgruntled, dissatisfied, unhappy, upset, annoyed, disappointed) both over the acquittal of one suspect (the suspected person, the accused), who they believe was the main accused, and the seven-year prison term. The police relied on some telephone conversations between the acquitted (released, freed, cleared (from a criminal charge); exonerated, discharged) VHP leader and the assailants to rope him in as a key suspect. However, the court did not consider this adequate proof. While deciding that the fatal attack did not amount to (represent, indicate, denote, point to, constitute; be equal to, be equivalent to, be tantamount to) murder, the trial court (a court of law where cases are tried at first. (try means to investigate and decide (a case) in a formal trial)) has concluded that the assailants neither intended to cause death nor knew that their assault may cause death. The prosecution (legal action, legal proceeding, legal case) is likely to take up (accept, agree to, accede to, say yes to) both the “inadequate” sentence (pronouncement of guilt, conviction, judgement) awarded to the four and the acquittal of one on appeal. Organised cow vigilantism poses (constitute, present, create, cause (a problem or danger or risk)) a major threat to the safety and security of minorities, as well as to the maintenance of the rule of law (it is described as “a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards). Despite the Supreme Court deprecating (criticize, censure, condemn) the bigotry (prejudice, bias, partiality, injustice) and hate propaganda (the (deliberate & systemic) spreading of information (facts, ideas, rumours or lies) to influence public opinion) that underlie (be the cause of, be the basis of, be the fundamental of) such activities, incidents of sectarian (biased, prejudiced, partial, one-sided, partisan, factional) violence and vigilantism seem to go on (continue, carry on, persist, remain). Both preventive and punitive (disciplinary, corrective, retributive) measures (action, step, procedure) are needed to arrest (stop, block, end) the trend, and one cannot emphasise (underscore, underline, highlight, stress, call/draw attention to) enough the need for efficient investigation and prosecution.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.stern (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कठोर, सख्त
English Meaning - strict, severe, stringent, tough/hard.

2.Indian Penal Code (IPC) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भारतीय दंड संहिता
English Meaning - The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is the official criminal code of India. It is a comprehensive code intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. The draft was passed into law on 6 October 1860. The Code came into operation on 1 January 1862. The Indian Penal Code of 1860, sub-divided into 23 chapters, comprises 511 sections. IPC deals with crimes and punishments.

3.subject (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विषय
English Meaning - subject matter, topic, issue, concern.

4.nuanced (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सूक्ष्म
English Meaning - minute, delicate, subtle.

5.Sessions Court (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सत्र न्यायालय
English Meaning - In India, the apex court within the district dealing with criminal cases is named as “sessions court” as per the Code Of Criminal Procedure (CrPc). While the court dealing with civil cases as per the Code Of Civil Procedure is called “district court”.

6.functionary (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पदाधिकारी
English Meaning - office-holder, office-bearer, official, especially in a government or political party.

7.for want of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के अभाव में
English Meaning - because something is lacking/missing.

8.presumably (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - शायद, सम्भवतः
English Meaning - probably, in all likelihood, undoubtedly, seemingly.

9.fatal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घातक
English Meaning - deadly, lethal, tragic.

10.so-called (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तथाकथित
English Meaning - alleged, supposed, professed, purported; questionable, dubious, problematic.

11.prosecute (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मुकदमा चलाना
English Meaning - take to court, bring an action against, take legal action against, accuse, charge.

12.dismal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निराशाजनक
English Meaning - sad, dreadful, awful, terrible, pathetic, disgraceful, depressing.

13.backdrop (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पृष्ठभूमि
English Meaning - situation, scenario, context.

14.the fact that (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - तथ्य यह है कि
English Meaning - used to refer to a specific situation under consideration/discussion.

15.conviction (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दोषसिद्धि
English Meaning - sentence, judgement, verdict.

16.mob (noun)

English Meaning - a large, disorganized, and often violent crowd of people

17.lynching (noun)

English Meaning - an act of punishing/killing someone by hanging for claimed offence by the group of people without legal trail.

18.flag (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, point out, identify; draw attention to something.

19.thin line (noun)

English Meaning - small/slight difference.

20.culpable (adjective)

English Meaning - punishable, reckless, reprehensible, blameworthy, guilty, censurable, wicked.

21.homicide (noun)

English Meaning - the killing of one human being by another human being; murder, killing, massacre.

22.distinction (noun)

English Meaning - difference, dissimilarity, variation.

23.sentence (verb)

English Meaning - pass judgement on, impose a sentence on, pronounce sentence on, mete out punishment to, punish, convict.

24.dairy (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the production of milk.

25.acquit (verb)

English Meaning - declare innocent, exonerate, absolve; discharge, release, free (from a criminal charge).

26.recall (verb)

English Meaning - remember, recollect, call to mind; bring to mind, evoke, allude to.

27.acquittal (noun)

English Meaning - declaration of innocence, clearing/discharge/release, absolution.

28.try (verb)

English Meaning - hear, investigate (a case) and make a formal judgement on it; pass judgement on, adjudge, adjudicate.

29.vigilantism (noun)

English Meaning - unofficial way of punishing crime by a self-appointed group of people.

30.semblance (noun)

English Meaning - (outward) appearance, approximation; similarity, alikeness, likeness, resemblance.

31.succumb (verb)

English Meaning - die from, pass away as a result of, be a fatality of, fall victim to (a disease or injury).

32.take into account (phrase)

English Meaning - consider, think about, bear in mind, take heed of, take something into consideration.

33.noteworthy (adjective)

English Meaning - worthy of mention, significant, important, noticeable, interesting, impresssive.

34.assailant (noun)

English Meaning - attacker, assaulter.

35.guilty (adjective)

English Meaning - at fault, culpable, accountable/responsible for misconduct.

36.amount to (verb)

English Meaning - represent, indicate, denote, point to, constitute; be equal to, be equivalent to, be tantamount to.

37.wrongful restraint (noun)

English Meaning - Section 339 of IPC speaks about the offence of wrongful restraint as “Whoever voluntarily obstructs any person so as to prevent that person from proceeding in any direction in which that person has a right to proceed, is said wrongfully to restrain that person”.

38.entail (verb)

English Meaning - require, necessitate, demand, call for, be grounds/reason for, warrant, involve.

39.life imprisonment (noun)

English Meaning - the act of putting someone in prison, life terms (until death).

40.justly (adverb)

English Meaning - justifiably, rightly, properly, reasonably.

41.aggrieved (adjective)

English Meaning - disgruntled, dissatisfied, unhappy, upset, annoyed, disappointed.

42.suspect (noun)

English Meaning - the suspected person, the accused.

43.rely on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - depend on; bank on, count on, resort to, have recourse to.

44.acquitted (adjective)

English Meaning - released, freed, cleared (from a criminal charge); exonerated, discharged.

45.rope in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - persuade someone to do something.

46.trial court (noun)

English Meaning - a court of law where cases are tried at first. (try means to investigate and decide (a case) in a formal trial).

47.prosecution (noun)

English Meaning - legal action, legal proceeding, legal case.

48.take up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - accept, agree to, accede to, say yes to.

49.sentence (noun)

English Meaning - pronouncement of guilt, conviction, judgement.

50.pose (verb)

English Meaning - constitute, present, create, cause (a problem or danger or risk).

51.rule of law (phrase)

English Meaning - it is described as “a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards.

52.deprecate (verb)

English Meaning - criticize, censure, condemn.

53.bigotry (noun)

English Meaning - prejudice, bias, partiality, injustice.

54.propaganda (noun)

English Meaning - the (deliberate & systemic) spreading of information (facts, ideas, rumours or lies) to influence public opinion.

55.underlie (verb)

English Meaning - be the cause of, be the basis of, be the fundamental of.

56.sectarian (adjective)

English Meaning - biased, prejudiced, partial, one-sided, partisan, factional.

57.go on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - continue, carry on, persist, remain.