Gook offers a gift to a departing Milord

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s Gobble D. Gook read reports of the latest doings of Justice S R Sen of the Meghalaya High Court, he wondered how such characters ever got to play lead roles in the drama that is the Indian Judiciary.

The Milord, on the eve of his retirement, has passed judicial orders in matters where he would be a direct beneficiary, post-retirement, of those very orders!

When such blatant judicial misbehavior was sought to be highlighted by a local newspaper, he went hammer and tongs for the writer and the editor by using the lethal weapon of contempt. Not as a weapon of a warrior, but as a weapon of an assassin!

 

Without any modicum of shame, without pause

Milord became a biased judge in his own cause!

 

But such things are not new or unusual, they have always happened. At first, they were aberrations and Gook remembers how we laughed and made fun of them. In hindsight, Gook feels that was perhaps our folly.

 

Now that such behaviour is becoming the norm,

In our indignant teacups we can sight a storm!

 

If Marx is still believed by anyone, it is worth recalling what he had said: “History always repeats itself. First as tragedy, then as farce”. Or at least something like that! The thought is old, but good. And it’s the thought that counts!

Gook also recalled what a wise senior, now in pearly paradise with Saint Peter, had told him ages ago:

“Gook, the root of the problem is in the appointments. Better to let a 100 lawyers roam scot-free in the bar rooms than to elevate a single bad one onto the Bench and sentence everyone to his daily doings.”

He had also said something interesting about promotions to HCs from the subordinate judiciary. “Look Gook, everyone in the decision-making process gets ample time to study all the ‘nutcases’ out there. Still if they elevate one ‘nut’, it affects thousands of cases.”

How very right were those observations based on years of experience!

Gook remembered such lost wisdom when he read the order of Justice Sudip Ranjan Sen sentencing Patricia Mukhim and the editor, Shri Chaudhari of ‘Shillong Times’ for contempt of court.

Mercifully, it was one of the Hon’ble judge’s last orders as a high court judge. But considering that he is the same judge, who not too long ago opined in a judgment that “India should have been declared as a Hindu Country at Independence”, Gook believes that many may consider him to be very highly qualified for some plum post-retirement posting. The Nation (or at least many in this Nation) wants to know why India is not a Hindu Country yet and why more doubting journalists and editors are not yet in jail.

 

So, while retired worthies can head for well-deserved rest at some nice resort,

Suffering journalists and editors can run to the Apex Court Milords as a last resort!

 

Gook has always empathised with those who get into trouble for sticking to their rights and exposing others wrongs, even though he has now switched loyalty from Karl to Groucho Marx.

This Law-merick is therefore, being offered, with respect, as a parting gift to the most Hon’ble Milord.

 

A Milord with barely a smile to suppress

Launched a surgical strike at the Press

 

     For publishing a fair, accurate tale

     He said ‘2 lakhs fine/6 months jail’

 

The only hope now is for an Apex redress