Editorial
Crossfire deaths must stop
Such incidents spoil image of the country
AFTER a period of relative lull we notice a recurrence of encounter deaths of alleged criminals in RAB custody. We had condemned such killings before and we are constrained to express our repugnance once again.
According to various accounts there have been a few hundred such deaths since the inception of RAB - a phenomenon that would be unacceptable in any country with a modicum of respect for rule of law and concern for justice and fair play. This will certainly call into question the modus operandi of the elite force in such cases, apart from tarnishing its image.
There cannot be two opinions about the many commendable achievements of RAB since the elite force was launched. It had successfully tracked down the top terrorists and helped in having them convicted and punished. It has preempted terrorist activities by capturing some of the second string leaders and workers of this group, as well as unearthing their arms and weapons cache. A good deal of hard work has been done in respect of the problem of drugs and narcotics, and by and large many well-known and hardened criminals have been put behind bars because of RAB activity. It had succeeded in inculcating a degree of confidence in the common man
But the achievements, regrettably, stand in stark contrast to the dismal record of crossfire deaths. This is indicative of the lack of respect for the judiciary and brings seriously into question the role of the higher authorities entrusted with law and order duties.
What we find rather patently unconvincing is the description of the events leading up to the crossfire death. The pattern is similar in almost every case, which raises the question in public perception whether some of these are not stage-managed in the first place? The explanations appear absurd and cannot be acceptable.
Let us restate the fact that the law must be applied to everyone including those taken into custody by the authorities. No one can act as the adjudicator of guilt or innocence except the courts of justice, and no one can abridge the course of justice in a society that claims to follow civilised norms of behaviour. They raise serious human rights concern, and allowing such killings with impunity can only sully our national image.
Justice must be allowed to take its own course. No matter what the record of an alleged criminal may be, by resorting to extrajudicial killings -- which these crossfire deaths are construed as -- such law enforcers are not behaving as custodians of law.
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