"Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is tyrranical."

-Blaise Pascal
________

2nd January
Sampurnaa's pov:

My heart feels way lighter today, now that the truth is out. It is so horrifying to think that a senior woman, who looked harmless had planned all this! She seemed so frail and simple! Honestly, this was the most unexpected thing that could have happened!
The Health Minister finally confessed to his crimes!

I was still seated behind the courtroom, along with the other reporters. They were complaining of stiff bodies and backache! To be honest, even I am having problem... To sit in one place for around 4.5 hours; it isn't easy!

I still remember that night when I had discovered that Mrs. Karune was Sanchi Desai's sister.

Flashback:

"Eureka! I finally got it!"

"What is it that you got?" he asked me while stifling a yawn.

"The key!"

"What key are you talking about, Sampurnaa?" he asked me sitting up properly

"Mrs. Arpita Karune is Sanchi Desai's sister."

A moment of silence and then.

"What the hell are you saying? How did you reach this conclusion?" he asked me immediately forgetting his drowsiness

"You are so ignorant! You literally had the truth revealed to you! All you had to do was to read in between the lines!" I exclaimed

I explained him everything.
"You remember Anya told us that Sanchi committed suicide and that she burnt herself to death?"

He nodded.

"She also mentioned that her sister sustained severe burn injuries that day." I reminded him
He nodded again.
"That day, Raj Matthews told you that he knew Arpita, right?" I asked him
"Yes. He told me that he knew her. He said that his wife was a nurse and that Arpita would go to her for dressing when she injured herself in the burnt..." he stopped midway.

"Exactly, my point!" I told him triumphantly

"Wow, my Archimedes! It's a good thing that you did not discover this in the shower!" he told me teasingly

I hit him playfully and the two of us were up the entire night, talking about the case and the possibilities of my thoughts being true.
End of Flashback.

It feels so good to think that we both discovered the truth that day! I was seated in my place when Sridha came to me.

"Di! Please come and sit in front with me. The justice is going to give the verdict... I sort of need you there." she confessed

I stood up and put an arm around her shoulder.
"I can't go there today. I am representing the media and I entered the court with my press pass today, not as a witness, a spectator or a complainant. I am there with you, Sridha. Please don't worry."

"Ma'am, please go ahead and sit. None of us reporters would mind. You may be here on professional grounds today, but the truth is that you are a complainant. Please sit there ma'am. It is your right!" some random reporter told me

Another spoke in his favour, "Please go ahead. No one's going to mind. And as far as the justice is concerned, I doubt if he would object."

Sridha looked at them and then told me, "Everyone wants you there di! This case wouldn't have come this far without you... Please di! Come ahead and sit next to me... I need you there!"

I was a bit hesitant and she understood that.
Suddenly she pulled me my hand and yanked me behind her.

"Sridha! What are you doing? Your parents are there... You will be fine!" I told her trying to free myself

"Just come along for God's sake!" she told me sternly

I shut myself up and then followed her silently. She was seated in the very first row. Her parents and brother were there too. They immediately made enough space for me to sit.

I sighed and then slipped in place beside Sridha.

Zakir saw me come ahead and waved at me. I smiled in reply

"You came ahead?" he asked me

"Isn't that perceptible, Zakir?" I asked him sarcastically

"Umm. I guess it is."

"Well, just go ahead and sit down then. The break is about to end. It is close to 6.45 now." I told him

He nodded and walked away.

The bailiff entered the court just then and announced the justice's arrival. All of us rose in respect and I felt my heartbeat quicken.

Indrayan turned to look back just then and saw me sitting in the front row. He gestured me to relax with a small wave of his hand and I smiled reassuring him.

The justice entered the courtroom and asked us to resume our seats.
I sat back down. Sridha took hold of my left hand and clenched it tightly. I patted her hand using my right one.

There was a nerve-wracking silence in the court.

...

The justice began speaking,
"The High Court of Justice in Mumbai has arrived to a conclusion in the trial State vs. Md. Ibrahim Siddiqui, Ms. Anya Siddiqui and Mr. Ramlal Tripathi. On the basis of all the submitted proofs and evidences and the statements of the complainants, witnesses and the suspects, the court declares..."

I felt my heart running at a pace of 100 miles an hour. Good God!

I clenched my pen tightly in my right hand as I got ready to note down the justice's verdict. Sridha's grip on my left hand tightened too. I could feel some sweat on my palms that brought out how nervous I actually felt.

The justice continued, "... The court declares Ms. Sridha Ranjan not guilty of murdering Mr. Vijay Desai."

I smiled as did Sridha. Her grip on my hand loosened and she hugged me tightly. I patted her back and asked her to sit down. She hugged her parents and then finally sat down, trying to keep a poker face on... There was a smile on her face, as well as tears.

"The court perceives on the basis of her statement and the witness' that it was an accidental death that took place when Ms. Ranjan tried to defend herself." the judge finished

He continued further, "The court also finds Mr. Md. Ibrahim Siddiqui and Ms. Anya Siddiqui guilty of forcing women to work as sex workers, involving themselves in child trafficking, abuse and using drugs. They are sentenced for fifteen years of rigorous imprisonment under IPC section 354, 372, 294 and section 27 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The court further sentences Mr. Md. Ibrahim Siddiqui to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment for domestic violence and rape under IPC Section 498A and 376 respectively.
The court further sentences Ms. Anya Siddiqui under IPC Section 302, 201 and Section 24 of the NDPS Act, 1985 for murder, removing evidence and dealing with drugs, to life imprisonment."

That brought a cheer from the crowd. I myself felt jubilant... Even though that literally means that someone's life would be spent in jail. She sort of had it coming as a fitting reply to all her crimes. Sridha started crying next to me.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked her frantically

"Di, she misbehaved with me, hit me and she is to be blamed for all that happened to me there! I just feel happy.... Happy that God listened to my prayers... And just punished her for what she did to girls and women like me!"

I wiped her tears and told her gently,
"Don't cry. It isn't the time to cry... Those who made you suffer are getting what they deserve, Sridha. Please don't cry."

She nodded and hugged me.

We both listened to the judge as he continued to speak. I had to write everything properly!

"The court convicts Mr. Ramlal Tripathi under Section 24 for dealing with drugs and IPC Section 302, 201, 182 and 315 for murder, tampering with evidence, lying in the court and for sanctioning the practise of female foeticide to a lifetime in prison."

The crowd hooted and cheered. He deserved it for all the innocent souls who didn't get to see the face of the world because of him and his sick ideas!

The justice continued, "The court also finds Mrs. Arpita Karune guilty under IPC Section 307, 201 and 182 for attempt to murder, removing and tampering with evidence and for lying and misleading the court; to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment."

I kind of feel bad... A harmless woman who lost her family, her husband and at the end her sister, had to resort to such extreme measures! She had even tried to take the lawfully and morally correct path, but political power had suppressed her voice and had denied her rights! Had ethical correctness been exercised by the late Minister, 25 years ago, all this could have been prevented!
The justice continued to give the rest of the verdict,
"Besides, the High Court of Justice finds Mr. Raj Matthews and Mr. Arvind Jena guilty of dealing with drugs under a superior's influence. Taking their financial conditions and manipulative situation into consideration, they are let of with a stern warning and a fine of Rs. 5000 each."

Fair enough! The only reasons why the two resorted to unfair means was lack of jobs and unemployment in the rural areas...
Their deeds aren't exactly forgivable totally, so the fine should do enough...

Moreover, following this, the government should create more jobs for the citizens and the youth.
Instead of making false promises about the world and globalising the country, they must try and connect to those who suffer without jobs and money! If India needs to connect with the world, then the people's representatives must connect with its own people first!

Taking my mind back to the court, I diligently noted down the justice's verdict,
"The court finds guilty Mr. Paul Isaac, Mr. Imad Qureshi, Mr. Jay Vamana, Mr. Victor Sequira a.k.a Mr. Md. Ibrahim Siddiqui and Mr. Janak Kar of rape, molestation and manhandling. They are sentenced to 7 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 10,000 each under IPC Section 376, 354 and 334 for rape, outraging a woman's modesty i.e., molestation and manhandling. Mr. Mr. Anubhav Sooryavanshi and his 4 accomplices are sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment without any parole under IPC Section 354, 334 and 294 for molestation, manhandling and abuse.
Further, all the accomplices of Mr. Ramlal Tripathi, Ms. Anya Siddiqui and Mr. Md. Ibrahim Siddiqui, are sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for dealing with drugs. Col. Abraham Collins is suspended and relieved from his duty as the chief of the special security forces with immediate effect. He is also sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for dealing with drugs and taking bribe under Section 24 of the NDPS Act, 1985 and IPC Section 117E.

The court would like to direct the government to pay all the victims of the prostitution racket, a compensation of Rs. 5000 each. The court is adjourned."

The justice rose with that as did we all. He walked out of the court and most of us, for a change, had wide smiles on our faces.

...

All of us walked out of the courtroom with smiled plastered on our faces... Finally!
Finally the justice that we wanted was what we got!

The other wives of Mr. Siddiqui were in literal tears. One of them walked up to Indrayan and folded her hands.
"Sir. You did what none of us could have imagines. You gave us insaaf (justice)!"

He was quick to react,
"Please don't fold your hands and embarass me, ma'am. They got the punishment they would have got, moreover any other lawyer in my place would have done the same thing... It is our profession and well, our duty."

I smiled at the woman and she instantly hugged me.
"What happened with you was unfortunate, Ma'am. But had you not taken the initiative to do what you did, then all of us would still be suffering."

"Please don't say like that. What happened was God's will... And God wanted you all to survive and get rescued. Please go and begin your lives again.... And I know I don't have much myself, but please don't hesitate to come and ask for anything if you want... I'll try my level best to help you." I told her sincerely

She patted me shoulder and said, "Allah aap dono ki jodi ki barkat banaye rakhe( may Allah maintain your pair)" she blessed the two of us and walked away

I smiled at her heartfelt blessing.

Today's verdict seriously changed so much... All the pain that the women had to go through have been avenged for!

...

Indrayan's pov:

The justice told us that the verdict would be delivered after a small break. There was anticipation and nervousness in the air. Although I knew that the judgment would be in our favour, Sridha's conviction depended totally on her statement and the facts stated by those who know her. Sampurnaa was sitting behind but Sridha pulled her in front. When I saw her before the verdict, nervousness and anxiety was perceptible on her face... She was breathing in and out; I guess in order to calm herself.

The justice said, "The High Court of Justice in Mumbai has arrived to a conclusion in the trial State vs. Md. Ibrahim Siddiqui, Ms. Anya Siddiqui and Mr. Ramlal Tripathi. On the basis of all the submitted proofs and evidences and the statements of the complainants, witnesses and the suspects, the court declares Ms. Sridha Ranjan not guilty of murdering Mr. Vijay Desai. The court perceives on the basis of her statement and the witness' that it was an accidental death that took place when Ms. Ranjan tried to defend herself.The court also finds Mr. Md. Ibrahim Siddiqui and Ms. Anya Siddiqui guilty of forcing women to work as sex workers, involving themselves in child trafficking, abuse and using drugs. They are sentenced for fifteen years of rigorous imprisonment under IPC section 354, 372, 294 and section 27 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The court further sentences Mr. Md. Ibrahim Siddiqui to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment for domestic violence and rape under IPC Section 498A and 376 respectively.
The court further sentences Ms. Anya Siddiqui under IPC Section 302, 201 and Section 24 of the NDPS Act, 1985 for murder, removing evidence and dealing with drugs, to life imprisonment. The court convicts Mr. Ramlal Tripathi under Section 24 for dealing with drugs and IPC Section 302, 201, 182 and 315 for murder, tampering with evidence, lying in the court and for sanctioning the practise of female foeticide to a lifetime in prison. The court also finds Mrs. Arpita Karune guilty under IPC Section 307, 201 and 182 for attempt to murder, removing and tampering with evidence and for lying and misleading the court; to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment. Besides, the High Court of Justice finds Mr. Raj Matthews and Mr. Arvind Jena guilty of dealing with drugs under a superior's influence. Taking their financial conditions and manipulative situation into consideration, they are let of with a stern warning and a fine of Rs. 5000 each. The court finds guilty Mr. Paul Isaac, Mr. Imad Qureshi, Mr. Jay Vamana, Mr. Victor Sequira a.k.a Mr. Md. Ibrahim Siddiqui and Mr. Janak Kar of rape, molestation and manhandling. They are sentenced to 7 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 10,000 each under IPC Section 376, 354 and 334 for rape, outraging a woman's modesty i.e., molestation and manhandling. Mr. Mr. Anubhav Sooryavanshi and his 4 accomplices are sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment without any parole under IPC Section 354, 334 and 294 for molestation, manhandling and abuse.
Further, all the accomplices of Mr. Ramlal Tripathi, Ms. Anya Siddiqui and Mr. Md. Ibrahim Siddiqui, are sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for dealing with drugs. Col. Abraham Collins is suspended and relieved from his duty as the chief of the special security forces with immediate effect. He is also sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for dealing with drugs and taking bribe under Section 24 of the NDPS Act, 1985 and IPC Section 117E.
The court would like to direct the government to pay all the victims of the prostitution racket, a compensation of Rs. 5000 each. The court is adjourned."

I could hear Sridha sobbing and Sampurnaa consoling her... Why on earth is she crying anyways? Too overwhelmed I guess!

The wives of Mr. Siddiqui came forward to thank me and Sampurnaa. One of them blessed us as a couple.
Sridha came ahead just then and said, "Jiju, this is so surreal! Thank you so much!"

Her parents came and also thanked me.
I am really feeling embarrassed now!

"Do me a favour, if you guys are really happy, then please cease from thanking me." I told them while rubbing my nape

They laughed at my request.
I saw Sampurnaa fidgeting with her fingers.

"Kichu bolbe?" (You want to say something?) I asked her

She nodded.
But, before she could speak, a swarm of reporters came and surrounded the two of us.

"Ma'am, how do you feel now that the court case is finally over?"
"Sir, this case was far more personal to you than it would have been for any other lawyer, how important was it to get things to work out in your favour?"

"Ma'am, you are a reporter like any other... You got involved in such a big racket, and you even became a victim of the harsh world of forced prostitution. Is there any message that you would like to give to the world?"

And so on! Sampurnaa suddenly realised that she had work to do herself,
"Oh my God! I can't stand here in a leisurely manner... I have got reporting to do myself!" she scurried away immediately signalling the camera man to set up the camera in front of the court building.

And well I was caught in a crowd full of reporters who had surrounded me and were throwing questions...

Sigh! I guess I should answer them,
"Back when I took up this case 6 months ago, I did not even know Sampurnaa... So I guess there wasn't really any personal motive or feeling involved... As a lawyer, it is my job to ensure that my client gets to keep his/her stand in front of the court. And that holds true for all clients... Not just my wife or my wife's friend... I would have done this for anyone who would like me to represent them."

"Sir, a few days ago, the Health Minister insulted your wife and even accused her. At that moment, what did you think as more important; defending her as your client or protecting her as your wife?" some female reporter asked me

Sampurnaa was reporting quite nearby. I doubt if she heard the question....

I arranged and prepared the words that I was going to speak and then spoke after a few moments, "In a court, during proceeding, every lawyer is given the power to object to any question or answer or statement. Truth be told, any lawyer would object when it comes to his/ her client... But I guess I did have the right to stand up for my wife at that point, as well."

I replied honestly. That day, I had refrained from getting involved in a verbal brawl with that bloody fugitive... He had obviously crossed the line when he commented on a woman's character... And more than that he had accused my wife of doing a lowly work!
I was broken out of my reverie when Sampurnaa's voice interrupted my thoughts,
"Sir, would you please answer a few questions for our news channel?"

That is one thing I like about her, as a reporter... She respects boundaries.

I nodded in affirmation.
"Sir, at the court today, the senior most person at the court turned out to be guilty. Mrs. Karune alleged that 25 years ago, when she had tried to take the ethically accepted path, her voice had been suppressed. Sir, you have observed this case closely, what do you make of the total scenario?"

"Well... I think the government needs to take more initiative to reach out to the people in the rural areas. The people there are undoubtedly denied their right to equality and also their freedom of speech and expression. There needs to be an unbiased body who will look after the civil and legal matters for the underprivileged people there."

Sampurnaa wasn't done. She asked me her next question, "Sir, are you happy with the sentences that have been given out?"

"Indeed I am. The verdict is totally unbiased and logical. If you would excuse me now, I am not very keen on answering further questions." I replied politely

She smiled in assurance and then thanked me professionally for the camera.

She then went forward to interview Sridha, her parents and also Mr. Siddiqui's wives. She interviewed almost everyone related to the case, well except herself...

The moment her camera was shut, a swarm of people went towards her and began asking her questions.
She raised her hand, asking them to stop and then replied,
"I know what your questions are... So here's my reply to all of them.
I am really jubilant that the case is finally over. The verdict is totally fair and I, for one feel that this is the best judgment. As for your other questions, the lawyer who represented my case was not related to me when we met back in July. I am glad that he agreed to take up the case though... And I really want to go home now... I have been here with you all since morning... No more questions please."

She made her way past the crowd of reporters, bid goodbye to Sridha and then she came towards me.

"Quick, we need to get out of here. Or else they may catch us again!" she told me

I nodded and the two of us made our way towards the parking lot.

"What were you going to say before the reporters interrupted?" I asked her while getting into the front seat

"Umm... I wanted to say thank you. I really can't explain the emotions that were swirling through my mind and head all this time! The victory... That sense of happiness... The satisfaction that all injustice that had been metted out to you has finally been avenged for!" she told me

I smiled at her.
I started the engine and then drove out of the court premises. Once on the road, I told her,
"I have won cases before. I have seen women, girls and many others rejoice after the verdict came in their favour... But today for the first time, I felt like I had truly won. You were fearless when it came to venturing into the red light area and staying at the brothel as a prisoner.... I wasn't there to help you during your troubles then... But I think I'd like to help you in your troubles now. I know you are independent and well capable of living on your own accord... Yet, I'd like to protect you so that the situation that we just tackled, doesn't come into our lives again."

My eyes were on the road, but I could sense her eyes that were focused on me.

"You have anything to say?" I asked her

"Yes, I do. Had you not been driving, then I would have surely hugged you. Thank you... For everything."

I smiled to myself and I could feel her smiling while looking out of the window.

___________
To be continued...
A/N

Law students, kindly forgive me for all the mistakes that I might have made. I have really got no clue about court proceedings. This is just my take of how things could be.

Thank you for giving my story a read.

I am well aware that justice is something that isn't so easily handed out to people on golden platters... But this is a story that I needed to wrap up... I am really sorry if this disappointed you. I never wanted it all to end so peacefully and so easily, because reality would totally be ironical to the situation portrayed in the story. I am really sorry if this failed to live up to the expectations of the readers.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -Martin Luther King Jr.

My story doesn't aim to offend or insult anyone... If you feel that I have done injustice to the story... Then I will rewrite the last few parts... But only after my board examinations.

Please let me know.

Shubhadittya

P.S. the story isn't over yet