It’s time to dismiss Katju

Phalgun Krushnapaksha 13, Kaliyug Varsha 5114

By, Shri. Arun Ramteerthkar, senior journalist, Solapur

Supreme Court’s verdict of film actor Sanjay Dutt being guilty of possessing AK- 47 rifle during Mumbai riots of 1993,  has been challenged, demanding pardon for Dutt by former judge and President of Press Council, Markandeya Katju. If a legal expert does not know that punishment given by Supreme Court has no pardon, it indicates grave ignorance of Katju. To appease Sanjay Dutt, who had connections with notorious criminals like Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon etc., is a kind of treason. This is whipping of Katju for his anti-national mentality ….

Katju, a person of mediocre intellect !

Just by sitting on the pinnacle of a palace, a crow cannot become an eagle. Similarly, a person reaching high post in his job, does not prove his intelligence and then the following generations keep on wondering as to how a person with such mediocre intellect could reach such high post. In the file of such persons with ordinary intellect, Markandeya Katju now occupies a place. Some people may feel that it is not proper to accuse a person of having ordinary intellect when he has retired as a judge of Supreme Court. Of course it is another matter that one of the judges of Supreme Court was caught in a huge scam and no action was taken against him. It is, therefore, now realized that even if a person is a judge of Supreme Court, his feet can be of clay; and Katju’s being a judge of Supreme Court cannot be taken as certificate of his intellect. During his tenure as a judge, the question of testing his intellect never arose. That time, he could not talk to journalists. Now he has that freedom and he ran amok like a calf. He takes care of being in constant limelight by making controversial statements. In such matters, his only competitor is Congress General Secretary, Digvijay Singh.

Katju, who is hungry of being in limelight, is anti-national and has grave ignorance about law !

Katju has been talking irrationally since becoming the President of Press Council. He has made no attempt to pass an Act against attacks on journalists. Case related to Ashok Parva in context of ‘Paid news’ has not come up for hearing even after 4-1/2 years; but Katju is not bothered. He made a statement that all reporters are stupid exhibiting his own intelligence (lack of it ?) and later, he even rendered apology for his statement. A news channel held a discussion program on punishment given to Sanjay Dutt. Katju, who is a former judge, should have told the channel that there cannot be any discussions on Court decisions and he should have declined invitation to be a part of such discussions; but his hunger for publicity came in the way.  On getting invitation, he not only took part in the discussions; but also made an anti-national demand of pardoning Sanjay’s punishment saying that Governor of Delhi has a right to pardon his punishment. From his brainless blabbering, three things came out in the open and they were his hunger for publicity, anti-national mentality and grave ignorance of legal knowledge.

Brainless statement of Katju

Since Katju was a judge, he should have known the Act related to pardoning of an offender. Sanjay Dutt had AK-47 gun. Since having it in possession was a crime under ‘Arms Act’, he was punished under clauses of that Act as found guilty.  This is a Central Act and Delhi Governor has no right to reduce punishment or cancel the punishment. Had Katju taken name of Maharashtra Governor as the offence took place in Maharashtra, it would have been consistent to some extent; but saying that Delhi Governor has right to change the punishment only because Supreme Court is in Delhi is height of stupidity. It is very frightening to know that such person was once a judge of Supreme Court.

Nobody has right to pardon the punishment !  

Forget Delhi Governor, the President who appoints Delhi Governor, has no right to pardon the punishment. The President can change and reduce punishment e.g. instead of hanging, giving life imprisonment; in case of life imprisonment, reduce number of years of imprisonment ; that’s all; President can only do this. Nobody in this country has a right to cancel the punishment given by the Supreme Court. How could Katju become judge of Supreme Court when he did not have even such knowledge? Was Katju under influence of drugs when he made such false statement so recklessly?   

Markandey Katju supporter of terrorists !  

This Katju is so shameless that knowing Sanjay’s involvement, he could have just kept his mouth shut; but he demanded that punishment given to a woman named Zebunnisa for the same crime, should also be cancelled. He did not, however, exhibit his intellect by again referring to Governor in her case. Why Sanjay should be pardoned; because he is a popular hero and why Zebunnisa should be acquitted; because she is 70 years old.  The two weapons used in the violence that took life of more than 300 people, were found with them which meant that Sanjay and Zebunnisa knew the persons who were involved in such bloodshed. We don’t know about Zebunnisa; but Sanjay had big bungalow because he was a hero; his father was a hero and MP; so there was no problem. Sanjay might have given permission to keep not only one but many AK-47 guns in his bungalow thinking that nobody would check out on him or his bungalow since his father was MP.  The weapon must have been shifted after police started raids. Sanjay might have asked for one gun as an award or terrorists could have given it to him in acklnowledgement of his help.  An arm, which is not available in a shop, was found with Sanjay only shows his association with terrorists. Although it could not be proved in Court, the truth of Sanjay’s close contacts with terrorists is as clear a truth as daylight. Such Sanjay getting only 5 years of imprisonment, is a very minor punishment and Markandeya Katju, who demands even cancellation of that punishment, has proved himself to be a supporter of anti-nationals. Such person should not be the President of Press Council.  

We too are sponsoring anti-national !

Few people from film fraternity came forward demanding pardon for Sanjay Dutt; they had to come as Bollywood and underworld nexus has already been exposed. Sanjay’s supporters do not mean the whole Bollywood. Some time back, an audio tape was published in which Sanjay was instructing a sharp-shooter to finish actor Govinda for surpassing Sanjay in popularity. There must be many like Govinda who must be asking that why Sanjay was not given death punishment. A sane person will never say that Sanjay should be spared. While pointing finger at Katju, we should also do some introspection. Sanjay being terrorist, Dawood and Tiger Memon must be investing lot of money in films so that Sanjay is taken as a hero. Despite knowing this, did we not go to crowd theatres to watch his films? Had every film of Sanjay Dutt released after 1993 been a flop on box office, today, nobody would have talked about Sanjay Dutt’s punishment. Don’t forget that we too are party to shameless things like sponsoring anti-nationals.

Source : Daily Sanatan Prabhat