Capital punishment not a deterrent: Javed Akhtar on Kathua verdict

Agencies
June 12, 2019

Mumbai, Jun 12: Veteran lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar has said while he understands the disappointment with the verdict in the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua, he believes capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime.

Akhtar admitted that he did not have "clear cut" ideas about the merits and demerits of capital punishment.

"I have heard that some people are disappointed with the verdict because they thought these people deserved capital punishment. I, in all honesty, must accept that I don't know have very clear cut ideas about capital punishment - whether it's right or wrong...

"One thing I am sure about is that capital punishment is not a deterrent of crime because where they have banned capital punishment, crime hasn't increased, and where they have kept it, crime hasn't reduced. So, I have no idea that whether they should have been given capital punishment or a life term is good enough. I am not sure," Akhtar said at a book launch here on Monday when asked about his reaction on Kathua verdict.

He, however, said those who have committed "a heinous crime" should not walk away after few years of serving life sentence on one ground or other.

"...We have seen many times in our society that somebody, who has committed a heinous crime, gets life imprisonment but after two or three years, you realise the person is released on one ground or the other.

"Then he or she lives happily ever after. So, I hope life imprisonment is good enough but it will not have these kind of privileges that after two-three years, the same people will be walking out free. That should not happen," Akhtar added.

A Pathankot court on Monday sentenced to life imprisonment the three main accused in the gangrape-and-murder of the girl, while awarding five years in jail to three others for destruction of evidence.

After nearly a year-long trial, the court held the six guilty in the case that sparked nation-wide outrage, while acquitted another accused Vishal Jangotra, son of mastermind Sanji Ram, giving him the 'benefit of doubt', according to Mubeen Farooqi, who represented the victim's family in the court.

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News Network
April 24,2020

Mumbai, Apr 24: A complaint has been filed with police against Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut for allegedly referring to members of a particular community as a terrorist in a video released in support of her sister Rangoli Chandel, an official said on Friday.

The complaint was filed by a lawyer, Ali Kashif Khan Deshmukh, at the suburban Amboli Police Station on Wednesday.

The Twitter account of Chandel, who is also the 33- year-old actor's manager, recently got suspended for alleged hate speech.

According to the complaint, while supporting her sister, Ranaut, in the video, allegedly referred to members of a particular community as "terrorist", the official said.

Ranaut had released the video some time back.

Following the release of the video, Deshmukh submitted an application to the Amboli police seeking registration of a case against the actor, the official said.

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News Network
February 27,2020

Mumbai, Feb 27: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Wednesday said it's with constant education that a country, a family can move forward as there is never an end to learning.

In December last year, when the actor visited the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, the La Trobe University announced the 'Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship'. At the event to announce therecipient of the scholarship here on Wednesday, Shah Rukh said it was his honour to lend his name or be attached to the scholarship.

"I am a big believer in education. I truly believe that the way forward for any country, any family, city, state is by educating itself more and more.

"There is never an end to education. I've come to realise the more I know, I figure out, the less I understand. It's very important to keep educating ourselves for the rest of our lives.

"I've always believed education in India and elsewhere in the world, is the most important step forward for any nation," he said.

The scholarship aims to provides an opportunity for an aspiring female researcher from India to undertake research.

The 54-year-old superstar said what also will help taking the world move ahead is educating women.

"Related to the fact, is of course, education of women, empowering women, to look after themselves to look after their families...

"If you are able to empower them with education, the world goes even further forward," the actor added.

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News Network
January 14,2020

Indore, Jan 14: Yoga guru Ramdev has said that Deepika Padukone should hire persons like him for offering correct advice, days after the actress had visited Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi following the violence at the campus earlier this month.

"Deepika Padukone needs to study about political, social and cultural issues. She should understand more about our country. Only after gaining knowledge, she should take decisions. I feel she should have persons like Swami Ramdev for correct advice," Ramdev said at an event here on Monday.

On January 7, Padukone joined the protest at JNU after a masked mob entered the varsity campus and attacked the students and teachers with sticks and rods on January 5.

Several BJP leaders questioned the support extended by Padukone. On the other hand, the Congress threw their weight behind the actress for her stand.

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