Justice unleashed, dogs released

Ritu Kamra Kumar

A photograph sent by a fellow professor spoke louder than words. A pack of dogs — 40-strong, tails high, paws pounding the asphalt like synchronised drummers — strutted down a country road with such confidence that one could mistake the scene for a political victory parade. Beneath this canine cavalcade was a caption: “Insaanon ke muqadme saalon saal chalte hain aur kutte apna case maatra 10 din mein jeet kar bahar aa gaye.” Satire served sizzling hot, with a dash of irony.

In a land where human trials limp along at the pace of a three-legged tortoise, these four-legged litigants had apparently won their freedom faster than one could say “tareekh pe tareekh.” Imagine the envy of undertrials — some languishing behind bars for decades — watching a troop of tail-wagers trot triumphantly out of legal limbo. If Kafka had been born in India, he might have abandoned The Trial and instead penned The Tail.

I don’t know the finer details of this judicial jamboree. Perhaps the dogs were accused of forming an unlawful assembly. Or perhaps, they had chased a VIP cavalcade. But what we know is this: they were in, and within 10 days they were out — case closed, kennel opened.

Meanwhile, for humans, justice is less a system and more a slow-cooking pressure cooker. Cases begin with lofty promises, then simmer endlessly until either the complainant turns grey or the file turns yellow. In between, there is an endless recital of “Adjourned, adjourned, adjourned,” which sounds less like a court proceeding and more like a DJ remix gone wrong.

But here’s where satire meets sniffing sarcasm. Dogs, who cannot even sign their names —unless paw prints now qualify as digital signatures — were granted justice at lightning speed. Humans, who can produce reams of evidence, witnesses and affidavits, remain trapped in a labyrinthine loop.

Of course, one might argue that canine cases are simpler. The charges are straightforward: did the dog bite or didn’t he? Was the bark voluntary or provoked? Verdict delivered, case dismissed.

But step back and sniff the symbolism. Those strays striding out together are not just dogs; they are metaphors with wagging tails. They remind us that systems are bent, rules are relaxed and justice sometimes chooses its clients. If a pack of pariah dogs can secure their release in 10 days, perhaps the judiciary does work — swiftly, and sometimes surreally.

The dogs showed solidarity. They walked in as a pack and walked out as a pack, a lesson many human litigants might learn. Somewhere, a poor plaintiff is probably still waiting for his case to be listed, while outside the courtroom, dogs roam free. While humans chase justice like a bone always out of reach, the dogs have already buried theirs in the backyard and moved on.

So, the next time you hear someone complain that “justice delayed is justice denied,” remind them that justice may be delayed for humans, but for dogs, it is decisively delivered.