“Will the beasts be penalized today?”
Inspector Godbole faced the media with sangfroid as they came meticulously on the days of the trial, repeating the question. He however, had no answer to propitiate the rising discontent among the public in general.
It was he and his dedicated team of a sub-inspector and a constable who had nabbed the ‘beasts’ within 24 hours of their having raped a twenty-year-old techie.
The girl was found lying in an unconscious state near the railway tracks.
Before breathing her last she narrated that while she was stranded at 11 pm with a punctured scooter tire, she accepted a lift offered by a man without as much as a premonition. He posed as a dejected father of a two-year-old returning from the hospital where his child was fighting cancer.
While the innocent girl traveled pillion on his bike, little did she realize that the others were being intimated in sibylline language.
A hutment dweller near the railway tracks later claimed that he could identify the SUV from which the girl was defenestrated at around 3 am. He even mentioned of having got a glimpse of the man behind the wheels under the brightness of the street light.
However, the police department was in for a shock today in the court when the son of the witness declared that his father was senile, substantiating his claim with relevant documents.
“It is evident that the affluent parents have fabricated this story. Then why can’t the delinquents be punished? It is seven months after the horrendous crime and the hooligans are being nurtured in a special cell.”
Shalini, inspector Godbole’s better half quipped.
Her indignation seemed justified.
The report of the strong financial background of the five accused that would be instrumental in shrouding all their misdeeds had incensed the wrath of the entire nation.
The trials that drew a blank were getting agonizing for inspector Godbole as he was subjected to ridicule amongst his acquaintances.
“What did you achieve by chasing the accused?”
Their twitched lips and smirks pierced his heart.
On the day of the next trial, Shalini was heard moaning as the miscreants’ acquittal was almost sure.
“How are we going to protect our teenage daughter with an incompetent legal system like this? Lecherous ones will only be encouraged if these scoundrels go scot-free. Why don’t you do something?”
It was not the first time that inspector Godbole was handling a matter of physical molestation, but this case was ghastly and the accused arrogant enough to challenge the police department.
Inspector Godbole reached the prison cell to escort the accused to the court.
Having probably got a whiff of the judgement going to be in their favour, the men guffawed at him while embarking into the van.
Little did these arrogant brats know that soon their bodies would be found in an accident site.
Pledging his life inspector Godbole had brought about justice and spared the media from enquiring, “Will the beasts be penalized today?”
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Really impressed by how the progress the of the investigation and the court case was put across so clearly within the short word-limit. There were many interesting choices of words (such as ‘propitiate the rising discontent’). An admirable story!
The story highlights the shortcomings of our legal system well