JUSTICE DELAYED JUSTICE DENIED (letter)Sir, This refers to abrupt livist in Tehlka inquiry. Justice K. Venkataswami, heading the Tehelka Commission of Inquiry resigned after conducting the probe for 20 months, when a controversy arose on his appointment as chairman of the Authority on Advance Ruling for customs and central Excise.Tehelka expose was a set back for the ruling NDA, It revealed that governments defence purchases mechanism was for porous and corrupt. The spy camera used by the Journalist team caught politicians taking bribe. Defence minister George Fernandes, Samata Party chief Jaya, Jaitly and former president Bangaru Laxman were disgraced by the expose.As soon as the Tehlka tapes were made public, it created storm and claimed the heads of Bangaru Laxman and Jaya,Jaitly, fernandes too resigned but later on, prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee re inducted him in the union cabinet as Defence Minister. The opposition took the government to task for this back of the Prime Minister and till now have been refusing to recognise him as India’s Defence Minister. During question hours, when ever he stood up in the Hose to reply questions pertaining to Defence Ministry, the opposition boycotted him.While the nation was eagerly waiting the report of Inquiry Commission, there came the news of Venkataswami’s resignation. He quit the chair after 20 months. In all 961 pages of deposition were recorded, 50 witnesses examined and 101 sittings were held.The opposition, particularly the congress that stormed the House on the appointment of Venkataswami to preside over Authority on Advance Ruling for Customs and Central Excise hardly realized that it would backfire on them, leading to derailment of Tehelka Inquiry.A month has passed but there is no sign of filling up the vacancy by appointing new incumbent in Venkata Swami’s place. Reportedly the government, caught in a bind after chief Justice of India left the onus of finding Venkakta Swami’ successor on the law ministry.Corruption is endemic to Indian polity. Every Scam-bug or small involving politicians, top bureaucrats and Business lycoons is carried through years of inquiry. If it atall lands in a court, the lengthy judicial procedure takes decades to deliver judgment. Bofers case hangs in the air for over a decade. Hawala payment Scams ended in Smokes. As Fodder Scam’s acquised persons including Laloo Prasad Yadav are now free to manipulate witnesses holding power on state administration, there is little chance of early judement in Fodder Scam.People in general now believe that laws of the land are meant for the ordinary citizens. High and powerful manage to escape the consequences of their misdeeds, by delaying or derailing the process enquiry and judicial proceeding.Justice delayed is justice denied, with the law makers and conscious people of this land ponder over the matter and do something to ensure expedient delivery of justice?

----Anita Pandey