Acquittal
In recent times, the Supreme Court of India has come onto its own in speaking eloquently for people’s freedom and democracy. Justice B.R. Gavai’s statement that there was no urgency in staying Professor Sai Baba’s acquittal is part of this trend. Prof. Sai Baba’s wife standing next to him cheerfully while the Court declined to stay his acquittal is noteworthy. Almost 80% of prisoners in India are undertrials. Their cases need to be disposed of expeditiously. Appeals against acquittals being heard by the Court on a Saturday should also become a thing of the past. It is comforting that freedom is finally reaching a man who is on a wheelchair.
N.G.R. Prasad,
Chennai
Reservation and judgment
My father, M.R. Veerabadran, was the petitioner (W.P no. 8142 of 87 and WA 1692 of 1987) seeking separate reservation for Scheduled Tribes in Tamil Nadu.
The judgment was delivered on January 8, 1990 by Justice Sathiadev and Justice (Mrs) Padmini Jesudurai, as V. Vijayamalu (minor), represented by her father and natural guardian, M.R. Veerabadran (Appellant) vs The Director of Medical Education (Respondent). Senior counsel M.R.M. Abdul Kareem had argued that SCs and STs are unequal, which was affirmed by the judgment. The N.M. Thomas judgment was used by the judges in the separate reservation for ST judgment.
V. Karunakaran,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
