By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The denial of police custody to Vivek Narwani, a Mumbai-based businessman who was arrested and brought to Shillong for torturing and assaulting his wife has gathered much criticism from many who stated that grant of 14 days judicial custody to the accused will facilitate the granting of bail.
Vivek who was produced before the Court of the Judicial Magistrate (CJM) on Saturday was granted 14-days judicial custody. He has been arrested under Sections 498(A), 313 and 315 (Getting an unborn child killed), 326, 506, Provision of Dowry Act.
“Despite the fact that he (Vivek) was charged under so many sections, it is shocking that he still managed to get so much special preference, relaxation, indulgence by the public prosecutor (PP) specially when there were 2 session triable sections that is 313 and 315 of the IPC, which alone justified further Police Custody”, CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said.
Coming down heavily on the PP, IC Jha, Kharshiing said that despite the threats and assaults made by the perpetrator on his wife and two daughters, he still gets more indulgence than the victim from the PP who instead of supporting an Investigating Officer and objecting the bail strongly, takes a lenient view facilitating the Defence.
It may be mentioned that the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case had sought for 8 more days under police custody. “But instead of supporting and backing the IO, the PP left the court room while the IO was making her submissions. It was like giving a hint to the judge that he had no objections”, Kharshiing alleged.
Expressing concern over the present legal set up in the State of Meghalaya, the CSWO president said “We are peeved at the present system where Government Pleaders are selecting whom to help and whom not to and in the process the woman seeking for justice gets reprieve only if the Public Prosecutor is Honest and upright.”
The organization has urged the government to discourage such types of weak prosecution and also urged to the Courts that with such weak prosecutions, the Courts should do justice to the victims.