Ed-1
For one and all: On personal liberty
Instant protection of personal liberty must be the norm, and not dished out on priority basis
T he Supreme Court has struck a blow for personal liberty, granting interim bail to television anchor Arnab Goswami through an order that one wished was also passed in the case of many others incarcerated without sufficient cause, and with the same priority, consideration and speed. The arrest of the garrulous supporter of the ruling party at the Centre by a regime in Maharashtra opposed to it did seem an unwanted exercise in law. The accusation that Mr. Goswami and two others abetted the suicide of an interior designer by denying him payments due to him was indeed something that could have been investigated and prosecuted, if evidence was found, without arresting them. It was always a good case for bail. However, it is not clear why the court did not allow the regular bail process to pave the way for their freedom. Mr. Goswami rushed to the Bombay High Court even before the Sessions Court could hear the matter. The High Court cannot be faulted for rejecting his bail request, as he had an effective alternative remedy in the form of a regular bail petition before the lower court. It is quite common for superior courts to ask remand petitioners to exhaust their remedy before lower courts first. Even those arrests in which political vendetta or misuse of power is quite demonstrable, the Supreme Court has granted bail only after courts below had dismissed them on merits.
In Mr. Goswami’s case, the Sessions Court was due to hear his bail petition around the same time the matter was before the High Court. Therefore, it is somewhat strange that the petition was posted immediately for hearing and that interim bail, pending a reasoned judgment, should be granted on the same day. Further, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud’s observation, “If we don’t interfere in this case today, we will walk on a path of destruction,” seems out of place in a case that clearly does not relate to Mr. Goswami’s journalistic work. Surely, a scrutiny of why such consideration or sympathy has not been shown for others held mainly for their political beliefs or journalistic work is warranted. It is no idle whataboutery to point out that it was only recently that the apex court turned down a petition for bail on medical grounds for lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj to the High Court with a gratuitous observation, “You have a good case on merits. Why don’t you file a regular bail application?” One hopes the detailed judgment would shed light on the circumstances in which the Supreme Court can override regular bail hearings in lower courts; and on whether it is expected that magistrates and sessions judges should also grant same-day interim bail in appropriate cases. The Court’s recent record of evading and postponing hearing on many matters concerning fundamental rights and constitutional questions that affect the rights of large sections of society is a veritable story of judicial abdication. It is somewhat galling to note that its gladiatorial zeal for personal liberty is demonstrated in so selective a manner.
liberty--स्वतंत्रता
struck--मारना, हड़ताल करना
somewhat--कुछ हद तक
warranted--ज़मानत देना, गारंटी देना
- one and all (phrase) – everyone, each and every one, without exception.सारे के सारे
- personal liberty (noun) – it means the liberty of an individual to behave as one pleases except for those restraints imposed by laws and codes of conduct of the society in which one lives to safeguard the physical, moral, political, and economic welfare of others.
- instant (adjective) – immediate, instantaneous, prompt/swift.
- norm (noun) – standard, convention, regulation.आदर्श
- dish out (phrasal verb) – dispense, provide casually.परोसना
- strike a blow for (phrase) – do something to support for.के लिए एक झटका हड़ताल
- interim (adjective) – provisional, temporary, transitional. (Interim bail is a bail granted for a short period of time).
- anchor (noun) – reporter, presenter, newsreader.
- incarcerate (verb) – jail, take into custody, detain/confine, put in prison.क़ैद कर देना
- cause (noun) – reason, motive, purpose.कारण
- consideration (noun) – concern, care; factor, point.विचार, ध्यान, लिहाज़
- garrulous (adjective) – excessively talkative (especially about trivial (ordinary) matters).बातूनिया, बकवासी
- regime (noun) – government.
- accusation (noun) – charge, indictment, attribution, incrimination.आरोप
- abet (verb) – to encourage/help someone to do something wrong/illegal.उकसाना
- due (adjective) – (of a payment) owed, to be paid, payable.
- indeed (adverb) – in fact, actually.
- prosecute (verb) – charge, sue, bring to trial, institute legal proceedings against, take to court.
- pave the way for (phrase) – clear the way for, make preparations for, put things in order for.के लिए मार्ग प्रशस्त करना
- rush (verb) – hurry, run, hasten, act rapidly/hurriedly.
- Sessions Court (noun) – In India, the apex court within the district dealing with criminal cases is named as “sessions court” as per Code Of Criminal Procedure (CrPc). While the court dealing with civil cases as per Code Of Civil Procedure is called “district court”.
- fault (verb) – find fault with, criticize.
- remedy (noun) – solution, answer, antidote/panacea.
- remand petitioner (noun) – petitioner in custody.
- exhaust (verb) – use up, go through, finish, deplete, expend (completely).समाप्त कर देना
- vendetta (noun) – prolonged feud/bitterness; revenge, vengeance.प्रतिशोध, बदला
- demonstrable (adjective) – proven, verifiable, clear, noticeable.प्रत्यक्ष, स्पष्ट, साफ़
- dismiss (verb) – reject, deny, abandon.
- merits (noun) – an essential inherent quality (rights and wrongs only) while evaluating a case (not by external aspects).गुण
- due (adjective) – expected, required, awaited, anticipated, scheduled for.
- strange (adjective) – unusual, weird, abnormal, atypical.
- pending (preposition) – awaiting, waiting for, until, till, before.
- reasoned (adjective) – logical, rational, sensible, well thought out, systematic, methodical.
- observation (noun) – remark, comment, statement, pronouncement, declaration.
- interfere (verb) – handle, get involved in, intervene in something.
- out of place (phrase) – inappropriate, unsuitable, unseemly, improper.
- surely (adverb) – certainly, definitely, undoubtedly, without doubt.
- scrutiny (noun) – examination, inspection, investigation.छान-बीन, समीक्षा
- consideration (noun) – thought, deliberation, analysis, examination, care, concern.
- hold (verb) – detain, confine, hold in custody.
- warrant (verb) – justify/necessitate, vindicate/validate, call for.
- idle (adjective) – pointless, worthless, meaningless, insignificant, unimportant.निष्क्रिय, बेकार, आलसी
- whataboutery (noun) – the technique of counter-accusation when accused of some wrongdoings.
- point out (phrasal verb) – identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to.
- turn down (phrasal verb) – reject, refuse, decline, say no to.मना करना
- ground (noun) – reason, factor, basis, rationale, premise.
- activist (noun) – a person who supports a political or societal change/cause.
- gratuitous (adjective) – unjustified, uncalled for, unwarranted, needless, unnecessary.ऐच्छिक
- shed/throw light on (phrase) – explain, elucidate, clarify.
- circumstances (noun) – situation, background, conditions, state of affairs.
- override (verb) – reject, cancel, reverse, revoke, overrule, nullify, abrogate.
- magistrate (noun) – the judicial officers or civil officers of a state who handle minor legal cases in a specific area like town, district etc.
- evade (verb) – avoid, dodge, elude.बचना, टलना, बच निकालना
- veritable (adjective) – true, precise, correct, exact, factual.सच
- abdication (noun) – disowning, rejection, refusal/avoidance, abandonment.त्याग, पदत्याग, राज-त्याग
- galling (adjective) – annoying, irritating, vexing.कष्टकार, दुखद, पीडाकार
- gladiatorial (adjective) – intense, ruthless, hard-fought (conflict/competition).तलवार चलानेवाले का
- zeal (noun) – passion, fervour, eagerness, interest.उत्साह
Extended lease: On IPL 2020
The IPL remained a success as a television spectacle despite the bio-bubble
The Indian Premier League that concluded in Dubai on Tuesday night, reiterated Mumbai Indians’ (MI) dominance over the last decade while also granting a hat-tip to the latest challenger — Delhi Capitals (DC). MI won its fifth title, a record that is well ahead of Chennai Super Kings’ share of three trophies. As finals go, the summit clash was underwhelming. Reduced to 22 for three in 3.3 overs, DC had to play catch-up all through the contest despite the rugged efforts of skipper Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, who both scored a fifty each. DC’s 156 for seven in 20 overs hardly tested the eventual champion as Rohit Sharma’s men coasted to a five-wicket victory in 18.4 overs. Rohit himself played the lead hand through a measured 68. There are whispers lingering about his strained hamstring, but it should heal by the time he reaches Australia for the Test series that commences on December 17. MI thrived on its overall supremacy: Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, veteran Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, and the final’s surprise packet Jayant Yadav, all contributed to the team’s cause. Meanwhile, DC qualified for its maiden final and largely rode on Shikhar Dhawan (618 runs) and this edition’s highest wicket-taker, South African spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who dismissed 30 batsmen.
Among the rest, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bangalore made it to the play-offs while the bottom-half featured Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, CSK and Rajasthan Royals (RR). CSK’s failure was a rare blip for a franchise that previously always made the last four. With a core group of seniors nearing the finish-line, the Chennai outfit under M.S. Dhoni has to rebuild with an infusion of youth. Hosted in West Asia while the coronavirus pandemic lurked in the background, the IPL’s 13th edition was a pure television spectacle with social-distancing norms and the bio-bubble. Hearteningly, the league continued to shine a light on unsung heroes be it SRH’s T. Natarajan or RR’s Rahul Tewatia with the former, a left-arm pacer, gaining a berth in India’s Twenty20 unit. Even regulars such as Kings XI captain K.L. Rahul, who topped the aggregate with 670 runs, relished their hits in the park after the COVID-19 lock-downs were gradually lifted. But, the desert sands weren’t entirely about the men lofting a six or castling stumps, as towards the end, the Women’s T20 Challenge was held with Trailblazers prevailing over Supernovas in a tense final. This might seem as tokenism for now but a start has been made and women’s cricket needs more of this fare as it strikes roots and slowly acquires commercial heft.
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