Letters: The Kasab conundrum

This refers to the edit “Swift closure” (November 22). The nation and the government appear to be in a self-congratulatory mood over the hanging of the lone surviving Pakistani gunman from the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. Fortunately, nobody thought of making Kasab aware of the strange provision in our legal system that makes even a presidential rejection of a mercy plea subject to judicial review. Otherwise, the case would have dragged on for some more time.

One wonders, however, what India has achieved by capturing Kasab alive? Was it that we needed to show the world that ours is a civilised society governed by the rule of law? Incidentally, the US killed Osama bin Laden in cold blood, when it could have very well captured the dreaded terrorist alive and followed the “due process of law”. If the Kasab case has served to expose Pakistan’s active support to terror groups, is it such a startling discovery?

Parthasarathy Chaganty Mumbai

Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
The Editor, Business Standard
Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi 110 002
Fax: (011) 23720201
E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
All letters must have a postal address and telephone number