New Delhia few moments ago
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Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal has given a statement on some decisions of the Supreme Court passed recently. Sibal expressed his displeasure and said that he has no hope left from the court. If you think you will get relief from Supreme Court, then you are very wrong. He said that I am saying this after completing 50 years of experience in the Supreme Court. Sibal made this statement at the People’s Tribunal held in Delhi on Saturday.
No hope from the court even after completing 50 years
He said that even if the court gives any historical verdict, but it rarely changes the ground reality. This year I will complete 50 years of practicing in the Supreme Court but still I have no hope. We talk about the progressive decisions given by the Supreme Court but there is a huge difference in what happens at the ground level. On one hand the Supreme Court gave its verdict on privacy and on the other hand ED officials came to your house. Where is your privacy in this?
Criticism on dismissal petition of Gujarat riots
Sibal said the SIT had given a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many others on the 2002 Gujarat riots. This was challenged in the Supreme Court by Zakia Jafri, wife of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, but her petition was rejected.
To uphold the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (Money Laundering) which gives a huge power to the ED. He said that in 2009, 17 tribals were killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh during anti-Naxal operations. A petition seeking an independent inquiry into the incident was also dismissed. All these decisions were taken under the chairmanship of Justice AM Khanwilkar, who is now retired. Sibal appeared for Zakia Jafri and the petitioners challenging the provisions of the PMLA Act.
Sensitive cases are assigned to selected judges only
Sibal also alleged that sensitive cases are assigned only to select judges. As a result, the law usually knows in advance what will be the outcome of the decision. I don’t want to talk about a court where I practiced for 50 years, but now is the time to speak. If we don’t speak, who will raise our voice?
Sibal also raised questions on the independence of the judiciary and said that the judges who are appointed in the courts, there is only a process of compromise. The Supreme Court where there is no system to decide which case will be presided over by which Bench. Where the Chief Justice of India decides which case will be decided by which bench, when that court can never be independent. If people do not change their mindset, the situation will not change.
Freedom is possible only when we stand up for our rights
In India we have a mother-father culture, people fall at the feet of the powerful. But the time has come for people to come out and demand protection of their rights. Freedom is possible only when we stand up for our rights and demand that freedom.
Referring to the pending Dharma Sansad case in the court, he said that the court heard the matter and sought answers from the governments. He said that the accused were not arrested and even after being arrested, they were released on bail in 1-2 days. Then after two weeks the meetings of the Parliament of Religions continued.