Bound by Blood

Chapter 1

15 July, 2009

"Breaking news." The television blared. 

Sridhara Singh Suryavanshi glued her eyes to the television set. Today was a big day. Today was the day the High court was giving its final verdict on the Bansal V/s State of Maharashtra case.

"What do you think Justice Mukherjee?" The presenter Maya Dixit's shrill voice came through. 

"What according to you is going to be the verdict of the court. Will the court find opposition leader Dhanraj Bansal guilty of raping twenty-year-old Meera Sinha repeatedly for a week at his farm house near Panchgani? Or will it acquit him?"

Sridhara squirmed as soon as the horrifying images of the bloodied and swollen face of Meera Sinha flashed across the television screen along with a smiling picture of the same girl.

A vivacious happy girl pursuing her bachelors in sociology. Now a victim of a grotesque crime.

The girl had gone missing from near her house two years ago. Her body had been found ten days later in the woodlands of picturesque Panchagani by a local shepherd.

Port mortem had suggested she had been raped repeatedly and had been choked to death. Further investigation had led to the involvement of fifty-year-old MLA Dhanraj Bansal and now the nation was in shock.

The case had been dragged for two years with trial dates scheduled and re-scheduled needlessly.

A special bench consisting of six prominent high court judges had finally come together to pass a judgement on this iconic case, thanks to activists at Naari Mukti morcha, who had hounded the police and the government with persistent determination.

Namely thanks to one woman and her efforts.

Senior activist, Sonal Mathur.

"It is a panel of six accomplished judges. We must wait to...." The retired supreme court justice began to explain.

"Yes, but what exactly do you think will the court decide." The reporter rudely interrupted the elderly man.

"I think this is a case of utter shame to our democracy." A deep male voice came through the telly. It was a voice of the spokesperson of the ruling party. Vinayak Kshirsagar. "If this man is not sentenced today, then god have mercy upon us. This is the beginning of the end of democracy as we know it."

"I wonder what my renowned friend Mr Kshirsagar, who himself is a distinguished lawyer, has to say about the rape case of Mayura Patil..." A third voice joined the debate, that of the spokesperson of the opposition party...Kaviraj Gaikwad.

"Don't bring Mayura Patil here." A fight ensued and Sridhara sighed.

"Why not Kshirsagar sahib? Is it because she had been raped by a fellow party member of the ruling party."

"Look here Gaikwad sahib." Kshirsagar's voice was condescending. "Don't you dare accuse anyone like this on national television. Nothing was proven in Mayura Patil's case. Our renowned party member Akhilesh Deshmukh was found not guilty both by the sessions court and the high court. So be careful with your words...don't insult our great legal system."

"Similarly, our renowned party leader Dhanraj Bansal too will be found not guilty." Gaikwad hissed.

"No see the high court will look into all the evidence before....." The old justice tried to get in a word edgewise.

"Dhanraj won't get away. He is a criminal." Kshirsagar barked over the Justice Mukherjee.

"Now you are insulting our legal system." Gaikwad raised his voice while Justice Mukherjee sighed in despair.