Let us celebrate justice for Celebrities

It seems the laws are applied differently to celebrities, politicians and the common man (so called Aam Aadmi). It is true that the aam aadmi adores the celebrities and mob them whenever / wherever they appear in public. The celebrities get special status every where like special and quicker darshans in temples, quicker access to airports, railway stations (do they travel in trains?). This is witnessed by every one over the day in and day out. However, the aam aadmi is so tolerant of everything from bad roads, poor infrastructure, politicians renegading on their promises, running from pillar to post when they need some work to be done in government, they take this special treatment to the so called celebrities in their stride.

However what pinches the most is the interpretation of laws properly and dispensation of justice accordingly for the celebrities very quickly. Of course it is the responsibility of Judiciary to dispense justice impartially and properly to all the citizens of the country for which there is no other argument. However, the way it is dispensed in celebrity cases which irks one. Take the case of Mr Salman Khan. His was a case of drunken driving (over and above without a driving licence) resulting in death of one person and injuries to four others who were sleeping on the steps of a bakery / pavement in Mumbai  years ago. The pictorial in Times of India on the day of judgement in his case around 3 days back shows that the land rover he was driving left the road went up the pavement / side walk and even on to the stairs of the bakery killing one and injuring four others. Does it require 13 years to decide on such a simple drunken driving case? What would be the fate of an aam aadmi if he is involved in such a case? Also the defense lawyers came with a strange argument along with driver of Mr Khan who claimed that he was driving and not Salman Khan at the time of accident nearly 12 years after the case was filed and hearings going on. When the court dismissed this argument as false and found Mr Khan guilty why the driver and the lawyers were not punished for coming forward with such a patently false argument?

In fact there is another case slightly older than or of the same vintage against Mr Salman Khan for killing Black Bucks in Rajasthan. Black Bucks are endangered animals and killing them is a punishable offence. The judgement in this case is yet to come.

Mr Khan got a bail on appeal to a higher court within hours from sentencing on a reason that the judgement copy was not delivered to the sentenced person. Within two days the higher court suspended the sentence after taking up his appeal and granted him a bail. The reason being a 25 year old Supreme Court Judgement / Ruling that an accused should be granted bail when the case is under hearing. It is good that the laws are being applied rigorously. However does it happen this way for an aam aadmi. What about many under trial detainees in Jails? There were even cases where the under trial detainees were incarcerated in prisons for more that the jail term for their offences. 

Or even take the case of Mr Sanjay Dutt whose case again went on for years together before conclusion. In fact he was put in jail for many years as an under trial detainee. But that does not make it right to grant him a parole several times within months if not days after sentencing. Last year there was a hue and cry when he did not report back for several days after a parole. Only after highlighting by media did he return back to prison.

Media often comes out with news items stating that such and such person is in prison as a detainee for the past 20 to 25 years without any trail. There may still be some like them jails even now. Who talks about their rights?

Conduct of the media in Salman's case is a lot left to be desired. Days before the judgement, there were news items stating how great human being he is. How much he changed and supporting other people and that many people / families are being supported by him. However one forgets many rights does not compensate for one wrong. True he has paid compensation to government for the injured, but there is hardly an remorse for his conduct shown any where. Otherwise why bringing in the driver who stated that he was driving instead of Mr Khan on the fateful day. Does it not appear to be nothing but a ploy to wriggle out of the case?