A mother’s last sigh

IT must take extraordinary resilience for a woman to not only begin a battle for justice at age 77, after losing two members of her family, but also possess the inner strength to live up to 100 to continue the struggle against all odds. Alas, as Ms Amar Kaur breathed her last on Tuesday, she stood no closer to getting justice than the day in March 1994 when her son, son-in-law, and their driver were allegedly taken away by the police, never to be seen again. Such has been the tardy pace of movement in the case that it has been cited as setting many records in organised delay at every step of prosecution, from filing of challan to framing of charges to the recording of evidence.

The justice system in the country is routinely decried for its failure to deliver in reasonable time. But this particular case may not be one of just corrupt and inadequate machinery. The prime accused here is a man who has remained the director-general of the Punjab Police, Sumedh Singh Saini, and continues to be in service. The fact that he went on to get promotions from the rank of an SSP to the very top despite this and other similarly serious charges against him, speaks for arguments, friends, and patrons he could mobilise in his defence. Held in awe, feared and loathed in equal measure — depending on who you speak to — this is no ordinary officer. Given the aplomb with which he could “deliver” what any government desired, and the lightness with which he could treat law — often with no attempt to cover up — it is no surprise that he is the subject of many a “legend”, part truth, part myth.

The sad truth is our judicial system is entirely responsible for confirming this larger-than-life persona of an officer who no one seems to be able to question. It has been unable to either acquit or convict Saini; and, after 23 years, we do not know who the real culprits are. As a nation we simply do not even have the collective moral elan to apologise to Ms Amar Kaur posthumously.