A Flood of Justice

The recent spate of convictions against Shibu Soren, Sanjay Dutt and the Navjot Singh Sidhu is a sign that the Indian Legal System is alive and well. Even as these high profile convictions offer me the assurance that the rich and powerful are not beyond the reach of the Indian law, these cases have brought to the forefront how little I know about our judicial institutions. Were these defendants offered due process? If so, what exactly is due process in the Indian context? Who was the lead prosecutor? What strategy did he employ? What evidence was presented to the courts? Who is responsible for examining all the evidence? Finally, who renders the decision? The fact that the Indian media has not addressed any of these questions is an indication that they are as ignorant. The lack of transparency in each of these cases leaves open the possibility that some of these convictions may have been politically motivated and therefore probably will be overturned at a later point of time.