A Haunting Mistake

The Arushi murder case has not ceased rolling out one surprise after another but somehow it now seems to have been a classic case of misinformation and a terrible example of administrative goof-up. The narco-analysis makes for shocking revelations. [link here]

The fallouts are notable.

Henceforth, the Noida Police will find it very hard not to trigger raised eyebrows whenever it comes out with a sensational theory behind a crime. It had single handedly misguided the public opinion and generated rhetoric and slanderous gossip that would put even Page-3 journalists to shame. To have cast aspersions on the character of a 14 year old who had fallen victim to a horrible murder was outright shameful and that to have come from someone of the post of an Inspector General of Police. Not surprisingly social commentators and ordinary people alike were guilty of expressing disgust and reproach as part of the knee-jerk reaction at the aftermath of such a visibly gruesome tragedy. Many, including me as can be found from the contents of a previous post, were part guilty of being too gullible in believing the 'illicit affair' angle to the murder. My sincerest apologies to the departed. Thanks to the electronic media, preposterous as it might have seemed a few years back but the marriage of crime and media generated sensationalism today necessitates training in media management of public servants. A similar blunder, that of jumping the gun cost the Kolkata Commissioner of Police his job in the Rizwanur Rahman case. The Govt. must take note of the amount of weight that the words of a senior official carry and if any modicum of respect and dignity is to be still salvaged in favour of these hallowed institutions it will be through inculcation of 'responsible public conduct' in these officials.

The lure of the flashbulbs should not blind one to the rigors of his duty.