JH gangrape: Law should be uniform for all, argue activists

HYDERABAD: Women’s right activists in the city reacted vehemently on the five juvenile accused in the Jubilee Hills minor girl’s gang-rape case being granted bail by the courts and said the law was not the same for those who have good political, economical and muscle power.

Bail should not be granted so easily to those who committed heinous, horrific and severe crime, added the activists. Questioning the way each accused was treated by the system, social activist Yamuna Pathak said not all criminals were treated the same way. She said the juvenile accused were getting lavish and royal treatment even in jail.

“The law should be uniform for all. The minors were treated royally and now they are released on bail. Is this how the accused are treated when they do something this heinous? If an accused is proven guilty, they must be punished. But our system doesn’t allow the accused to be guilty as they get away using their influences and political power. How can the accused be free so easily? When all the evidence collected so far prove that they committed the rape, how can they be let loose so easily,” questioned Pathak.

Human rights activist Dhruva Narayan Sharma said there was no fear of law anywhere, be it the rich or the poor. “The system is such that nobody is scared of committing a crime, especially when it comes to rape,” said Sharma. V. Sandhya, national convener, Progressive Organisation for Women, said the accused or the victim must be treated according to their age as a minor or a major. Before anybody gets a bail, the severity of the crime must be considered.

“Only the court is supposed to make a decision on who should be getting a bail. The public prosecution can also present arguments for the rejection of bail and the police can demand for the rejection of the bail as well,” she said.