Ram Rahim Sentencing Wasn’t Heroic, Jagdeep Singh Just Did His Job

Neither of the two victims thought they would get any justice from the state machinery in this case. 

(Photo: Vibhushita/The Quint)

Judge Jagdeep Singh of the Haryana Judicial Services, presiding over the Special CBI Court in Panchkula, is not a hero. Or at least he is not one simply because he convicted and sentenced Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insaan to 20 years in prison for two counts of rape.

He only did his duty.

Hero, Because He Did His Duty?

It says something about the state of the nation that simply doing one’s duty is considered heroic, even if the circumstances were trying. 

If I were in his position, I would have definitely suspected the motives of the Haryana state in allowing followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda to gather in large numbers ahead of the verdict. Indeed, the Punjab and Haryana High Court said as much in open court.

If I were in his position, I would definitely think ahead of the future when there is less media attention on the case, but the grudges of those in positions of power against someone having done their duty remain.

Yet Judge Jagdeep Singh simply did his duty. But he was not the only one.

From start to finish, the prosecution of this case has happened and been brought to the logical conclusion only because of the judiciary. The accused, being the head of a powerful and influential dera with a wide following, enjoyed what seems to be the de facto protection of the Government of Haryana.

Neither of the two victims thought they would get any justice from the state machinery in this case and it was an anonymous letter received by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2002 that put the case in motion. 

It was only in 2007 that the High Court entrusted the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation after being satisfied that there was enough in the case to warrant a serious investigation.

If anyone has to be considered heroic, it has to be the two women who suffered at the hands of the Dera chief. They stayed silent out of sheer terror of the man and his influence and it was only when the brother of one was murdered on the orders of the Dera chief that one found the courage to come forward, and later the other.

Their families have also stood by them in the face of intense pressure and threats from the Dera chief and his followers and it is to their credit that he will suffer some consequences for the unknown number of crimes he has committed against women in the Dera.

Courts Have Exposed Sexual Predators Masquerading as Godmen

A plain reading of the allegations and what has been found to be true by the court make for a horrific reading. Given that these incidents took place within the closed walls of the Dera, there were few witnesses and given the time that has passed since the assault, little by way of forensic evidence could have been obtained even if it were attempted.

It is rare for the defence to have more witnesses than the prosecution to disprove guilt, yet the Dera Chief relied on no fewer than 37 witnesses to testify to his innocence as against the 15 put up by the prosecution.

Nonetheless, the court has examined the statements of the prosecution witnesses and found them to be sufficiently credible in accordance with the law. It is also a judgment that is sensitive to the circumstances that may prevent someone who has suffered sexual assault from a person in a position of authority from reporting it instantly.

This is not the first sensational case with a head of a religious group standing accused or being convicted of sexually exploiting his followers. There have been many other instances in the recent past, across denominations and faiths, where the courts have done a stellar job is in exposing them for what they really are: power brokers and sexual predators.

Nor will this be the last time that we see self-styled godmen and babas taking advantage of their positions of power.

Democracy May Be Born With Heroic Deeds of Some

The processes which are making people seek succour in religion and religiousity – rapid social changes, disappearing social security, a brutally indifferent state, and vast inequalities are not going away any time soon.

With the collusion of the state machinery, some might even get away with it, but as long as there are enough people like Judge Jagdeep Singh who will simply do their duty, come what may, there is at least some hope for justice.

A democracy may be born because of the heroic deeds of an individual or a people. It sustains and grows on the backs of ordinary people just going about the duties in accordance with the law, among other things.

No democracy will survive for long if it needs or expects heroism from individuals on a daily basis just to keep it alive. This is the important lesson that must be learnt from the prosecution of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insaan.

(Alok Prasanna Kumar is an advocate based in Bengaluru and can be reached @alokpi. Views expressed here are purely personal and do not reflect the views of any organisation.)

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