Source:
https://scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3041672/why-indias-police-killings-even-suspected-rapists-should-not-be
Comment/ Letters

Why India’s police killings – even of suspected rapists – should not be celebrated

People throw flower petals on Indian policemen guarding the area where four men accused of raping and killing a woman were shot in Shadnagar some 50 kilometres from Hyderabad, India, on December 6. Photo: AP

I am writing with reference to the article “Hyderabad rape: Indian police shoot dead four men accused of killing vet, drawing cheers” (December 6). The rape of the young veterinary surgeon in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad was indeed horrendous. A nation must respect its women. However, India woke up on December 6 to the news that the four men accused of the crime had been shot by police.

There has been widespread jubilation in many parts of India at this news. People were happy because they feel that the judicial process is time-consuming and that what Indian police call “an encounter” delivered expeditious justice. However, we should rethink this attitude, because the due process of law and the judiciary are crucial to a democratic country. We do not have to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We should deal with the rapists, but not discard the law.

The government should prescribe a fast-track process for rape cases, with a court verdict to be delivered within a month. The rule of law should prevail, or we will have anarchy. Not merely the police, but even ordinary citizens may take the law into their own hands. The police have legitimacy. Home grown, local vigilante groups are more likely to cross limits. That would be another disaster.

Rajendra Aneja, Mumbai