Justice for Priti

When collegian Priti Srivastava was mowed down by four young men riding a jeep on the campus of Ambikapur's Government College last Decem...

When collegian Priti Srivastava was mowed down by four young men riding a jeep on the campus of Ambikapur8217;s Government College last December, it caused nation-wide anguish and condemnation. The incident symbolised the horror and ugliness of sexual harassment, an experience that the women of this country routinely face.

But, as also usually happens, within a few weeks the horrific incident had slipped away from the front pages and the realities of power politics at the local level had begun to reassert themselves. Since the jeep-happy louts happened to be extremely well-connected, it wasn8217;t long before the very people who were meant to bring the guilty to book were busy ensuring that this just did not happen. In fact, they did not even bestir themselves on the case, until Chief Minister Digvijay Singh spoke to them personally, a day later.

The three-member committee set up by the Madhya Pradesh assembly to investigate the circumstances of the murder came up with some startling evidence on how remiss thelocal administration has been in ensuring that justice is done in the case. Not only was the role of the then district collector found to be 8220;reprehensible8221; in this regard, the present incumbent has also not conducted himself creditably. The committee also indicted the superintendent of police at the time of the incident for not taking 8220;satisfactory8221; action. As if this dereliction of duty was not enough, it appears that all the important witnesses in this case have been systematically intimidated. Not surprisingly, then, many chose to turn hostile in a bid to protect themselves and their families. Some of them or their relatives happened to own shops which were deliberately demolished by the local administration.

Perhaps the most disturbing fact that surfaced in the House committee report was that the administration had proved singularly uncooperative in providing protection to Priti8217;s friend, Nisha Thakur, who was present at the scene of the crime and is a crucial witness in the case. A well-connectedlocal family, it appears, is behind these attempts designed to protect the guilty.

The Madhya Pradesh government had consistently defended the district administration and had maintained that there were no extraneous pressures brought to bear in the conduct of the case. Its own committee has now revealed this stand to be an incorrect one and has called for a detailed probe 8212; to be conducted within a month 8212; into the administration8217;s involvement in the demolition of the shops in question. It has also called for the punishment of those officers found guilty of attempting a cover-up. The committee deserves to be commended on several grounds. While it was set up only six months after the incident had occurred, it lost no time in getting into the circumstances of the case and came up with a comprehensive report within the stipulated time-frame. It seems to have conducted itself with exemplary impartiality and thoroughness. Now it is for the government to see that the guilty are given deterrentpunishment.