Sheena Bora's is a classic 'open and shut up case'
Since the story is off the prime time news radar, the public has already started giving an alleged murderer the liberty of getting off "scot-free". Rumour has it that the authorities have lost interest in the Sheena Bora murder case because the media has lost interest. A case transferred to the CBI equals "case khatam, paisa hajam". How sad. A lot of us are rather distraught at the news. Or the lack of it, for that matter.
Public perception is often steeped in a sense of foreboding. Someone sent me a panic message from Mumbai that the case is "closed". And Indrani may be out on the streets soon, ready for the kill, again. ("So watch your back please, Ravs". I haven't stopped laughing since.)
Peter has become aspirational cocktail conversation and people are marvelling at his "clout" and power. Or is it that he "has too much on too many people"? Cheers. Have a drink on him.
Really, now.
What makes this "power couple" so important anyway? Here is a media professional who supposedly used his hungry wife as a front to have dubious dealings through a media company he set up. Money magically reached their pockets without even a whiff to the authorities. They were said to have fled the Indian scene to protect their spoils. Someone obviously helped them make the flight. And counting on the fact that public memory is short, they returned to the "scene" recently to make a comeback by schmoozing and entertaining those they could prey on once more. Like "lalloos", people walked into their trap again. Or at least into their parties.
Are the Mukerjeas suddenly so "big" that they can cover up a murder in cold blood? And escape the penalties of fiscal fraud? Is the distance between justice and travesty, one midnight phone call? One policeman's transfer?
This is not them succeeding. This is us failing.
We've created an ecosystem of "Talk smooth, aim high, pay the bucks and you're sorted". If you can afford the Dom Perignon. People today do anything for an expensive freebie. Even dine out with murderers and publicly acknowledged cheats. Holidays, selfies and Facebook "likes". All those who are "friends" of such people need to seriously rethink their priorities. Despicable you.
Some of us have been on the "Botch Watch" since the news of Sheena's alleged murder broke. We did the same with Sunanda. We jolted the system into action for Aarushi and Jessica. We didn't stop until Priyadarshini got justice. We are sick of a system that's too corroded to work. Sick of seeing educated young people resigned to the fact that nothing affects the rich and infamous. Sick at how helpless we actually feel.
See how recent cases without media pressure have turned out. Or haven't, for that matter. DK Ravi's, Kalburgi's and Sunanda's, and thousands of such cases have vanished from everyone's subconscience. Is it just boring to follow something with no media hype? Or are we shaming our "media of excess" into shutting up so we can get on with our business? Are we being forced to bury inconvenient truths? Are we really that gullible as citizens?
No toxicology report takes so long to be written. No evidence can get that compromised. People don't just pop off in luxury hotels, get murdered in broad daylight or during rush hour on a busy suburban street in an Opel sedan and then get erased from public memory. Unless someone wants you to forget.
So who exactly are these people who corrupt the truth, gag the media and transfer the cops? And why? There seems to be an unseen hand out there compelling justice to fail.
So many botched cases all around. Are we going to let all these cases lie and die?
Bring it on!
No matter how shrill the probe gets, no matter how much conjecture it creates, until there's pressure from you and me, skeletons will remain in the closet. Random bones trying to attach themsleves to an unknown skull. DNA samples slipping through loopholes conveniently. Witnesses being killed for telling the truth. And cases "shutting up" before justice is delivered.
Clever lawyer. Clever circumstance. "Sazaa -e- maut" has just been pronounced on the law in this case.