Waheeda Rehman Said That Rapists Should Be Sentenced To Life Imprisonment, Not Shot. We Don’t Know If We Agree

Priyanka Reddy’s brutal rape and murder will go down in Indian history as one of the most inhumane cases ever. It left us all feeling helpless, terrified and of course, angry beyond all logic and reason. This is probably why when a few days ago when we found out that the accused in the case have been encountered by the Telangana police our initial reaction was glee. But once it sank in, just like the rest of the country, we too were left conflicted.

On one hand, those animals deserved what came for them and the fact that it happened during an alleged attempt to escape could be considered as divine vengeance. The country would’ve boiled with anger if those four were just thrown in jail where they could eat and live remorse-free for the rest of their lives. I mean, that is nothing compared to what they did to Priyanka right?

On the other hand, if you think about it from a very basic human rights level, an encounter doesn’t seem like the way to go. No matter what the situation is, the police should not be allowed to just shoot anyone, even convicts. Of course, it is very evident that this could all just be a ploy by the police to cope with the rising pressure to take some action rather quickly. But as much as I wish, I can’t say with complete certainty that the action they took was the correct one and that Priyanka has been avenged. I don’t think anyone can.

Also Read: Was Justice Really Served In The Priyanka Reddy Case? Perhaps In Some Ways, But We Are Conflicted

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Talking about this, veteran Bollywood actress Waheeda Rehman said, “I personally think that heinous crimes like rape are unforgivable, but I also feel that we shouldn’t be allowed to take somebody’s life. We should give them (the rape accused) life imprisonment.” She added, “We shouldn’t follow legal procedure in such cases because when you have caught them red-handed, so why file a case against them? By doing that, you are wasting people’s money. So, without any legal procedure, they should be given life imprisonment.”

I agree she makes a valid point and the logical side of me wants to say she is right. But the pissed off and scared side of me wanted a punishment for them that fit the crime and an encounter is as close as it can get to that. The thing with life imprisonment is that compared to the monstrous crime they committed, it just seems like a cakewalk and it is just not enough. Even if the procedure was followed and they were tried and sentenced to be hung, it would be decades before they were executed. Do you know that it has been seven years since Nirbhaya’s rapists were sentenced to be hung and they are still alive and on death row? Like I said, just not enough!

Also Read: Rangoli Chandel Says A Temple Needs To Be Built Where Priyanka Reddy Was Burned. Why Sensationalise Such A Delicate Matter?

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This conflict seems to be echoing in the hearts of all women across the nation. A lot of other Bollywood stars voiced out their opinion on this encounter, some were in favour and while others were deadly opposed to this action.

There is no doubt that we need a stronger law against rape that covers any and all situations of sexual misconduct with the strictest enforcement and harsh punishments. I think we need to push for that instead of debating over something we can’t change now.

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