An Eyewitness Account Of The Courts

It was business as usual when we reached the court, a sensible half an hour later than the time scheduled for the hearing. Outside, a stout fellow with an incongruously reedy voice was calling out cases at the astonishing rate of one every two minutes. I wondered how justice could be delivered so quickly, but realised that something weird was happening. Like the horror story where one can enter the haunted castle but cant ever emerge the witnesses, defendants and lawyers being called in were not coming out.

I peeped in and saw that the defendant, prosecutor, lawyers, relatives and other sundry observers were towering over the judge, talking simultaneously. Behind them were defendants in other cases (many had their hands tied to a police officers, due to a shortage of handcuffs), policemen and more. At least 30 people stood inside.

 

In the centre were two bare, unpolished divans made into a makeshift dais, on which a desk and chair had been placed for the judge. A railing draped with a tattered red cloth to add a touch of regality ineffectually tried to separate him from the junta. There was, naturally, no witness box, so the defendant and the prosecution witness stood bickering, while the two lawyers hovered over the court stenographer.

I realised an important fact about district level law the steno is more important than the judge, for all the testimony and arguments are directed to him.

Write, the defendant was 500 km away from the site of recovery, commanded the defence lawyer. No, no! Write that the recover of goods was made from the defendants house, shouted the prosecutor. The judge pointed out a finer detail about the lawyers grammar, and dictated a sentence to the steno. The defendant, not to be outdone, said, Write that I have a train ticket to show I was not here at the time of the theft. Everyone began talking at once and the judge was totally eclipsed. He banged on the table with his gavel and said, Arrey bhai, who is Chote Lal?

The reedy voice shouted its name. A man sauntered in chewing paan. I asked whether he was a witness, but discovered that his was another case altogether he had been caught terrorising voters during the last election. With the coming elections, the judge wanted to give him a warning, said our lawyer. Then, witnesses for two different cases began testifying at once, trying to drown out each others voices, and confusion reigned.

Suddenly the judge got up and shouted at the chap who terrorised voters: How dare you have paan here? Get out before I throw you in jail! Then he turned to the defence lawyer for the first case and said, Will you cross-examine or not? Equally belligerently, the lawyer said, How can I cross-examine? The court will adjourn in an hour I need more time with the witness!

Another date was set, and everyone shuffled out. If it wasnt so pathetic, itd be funny, I said to my lawyer. Astonished, he said, Funny? Pathetic? Madam, everyone was so law-abiding. I think your presence made them self-conscious you should see how things are normally!