Rape of Justice???

ITS A DOG'S WORLD... REALLY????



I have been debating with myself for a long time ever since I saw this piece of news in the Bombay edition of Mid Day. I have tried (i really have) but I haven’t quite been sure about how to go about it....

Is it a triumph for PETA and animal rights?
Is it a mockery of justice and for that matter is there justice to be served at all, esp when there are lakhs and lakhs of cases pending in the Indian judicial system
Is it just some sick voyeuristic pastime by the tabloids?
Did the dog complain?

What do I say, even the tone of the reporting seems to be strange (considering for all the horror that it is infact a DOG we are talking about) with terms like ‘forensic evidence’ and ‘non consensual sex’ and even some gay angle (dont ask) added to the whole sordid drama.



BUT before that i must make it very clear that i am all for animal rights and am indeed very fond of dogs... infact my best friend, at one time had 11 dogs in his house (2 labs and 9 of those viciously snippy miniature dashchunds or sausage dogs are they are commonly called).


Anyway my only complaint in all this is that animal rights and PETA & SPCA aside, HUMAN rights is what must remain paramount. Esp considering that in the time of recession and with millions of people going hungry, the Pet Accessory & Grooming industry is an estimated 5 billion one. That is in the US alone.


Maybe, just maybe, our priorities need to be rechecked. Humanity is all great and all that jazz but i am pretty sure that in GOD's great scheme of things, dogs wearing coats and designer boots was not a priority.


Anyway here’s what happened (allegedly).


A taxi driver named Mahesh Kamat was found in the compound of a housing society in an inebriated state and with his trousers unzipped and when the police arrived he was being beaten by a group of people from the society who claimed that he had raped a bitch (I am just being technically correct here and not in any way insulting the victim).

Then next day he, however, kept repeating that he did not recollect what happened that night.


"I have not done anything. I don't remember anything because I was not in my senses," said Kamath. Neither did he remember being beaten by residents of the building (maybe they did not beat him enough).



However, in a statement to the police the previous night, Mahesh had allegedly admitted saying, "Haan, maine kiya hai" which sounds perfectly plausible as the drunk would have probably not known what was being asked of him least of all known that he was being accused of copulating with a bitch.

According to the police he is said to have replied (with the now famous words) 'Hogaya, hogaya' (happened, happened) when asked why he raped the bitch. Now the police (who I had no idea had so much time and resources on their hands) have sent the clothes he wore that night to the forensic laboratory and are waiting for his medical reports

The victim's testimony is usually crucial in such cases, but there is naturally no chance of recording the dog's statement (and please note that I say this with utmost seriousness).


Meanwhile the stray dog raped by Kamath is supposed to be traumatised. According to Sangeeta M Revdekar, the second eyewitness in the case, "The dog has been listless since the incident took place and is neither eating food nor sitting outside our house like she usually does."

The dog that Kamath raped.

Hundreds of camera bulbs flashing on her face must have her dazed is my guess but what do I know.

Now what worries me is this.

In the first case in India in which a crime against an animal is being treated on par with a crime against humans and the prosecution is going to tenuous lengths to prove the rape of a dog.

They are collecting semen, going to laboratories to prove force (injury marks on the private parts of the animal and animal hair in the nails of the accused; marks on private parts), used in patently non-consensual sex.

"We have heard of man raping a minor girl but this is just horrible” said a police official and with that one sentence, almost managed to make light of a little girl’s rape.

Animal activists, law experts and champions of gay rights have ofcourse reacted with their arm chair opinions:

Raj Panjwani, environment and animal law expert from Delhi: "This is unbelievable. It is great that the woman has registered an FIR. You never know if the Act will be amended to include rape of a dog but its great."

I am not quite sure what he’s finding so great, the actual rape of the bitch or the fact that some one reported it.

Anuradha Sawhney, head of PETA India: "He [the accused] needs to be taken to a psychiatrist. People who commit such a crime are mentally ill. They should be severely punished.”
She obviously doesn’t understand that “mentally-ill” and “severely-punished” don’t usually go together. Psychiatric Treatment doesn’t seem to be an option to her.

And the best (and most confusing) of all quotes came from a certain Mr. Vikram who was curiously described in the paper as Doctor Gay Activist and I havent quite figured out if he is a Doctor in addition to being a Gay Activist or that he has a doctorate in activism. Anyway this is what he said:

"It's simply wrong because of the issue of consent. Animals can't give consent to what people do to them. Children can't give consent for being minors. An adult man who is raped by another man is being forced against his consent. So, this is not like two adult gay men who have sex with each with their consent?"

And once again, in one single sentence, he has somehow managed to psychologically equate bestiality and gay sex. Maybe he is an activist AGAINST gay rights.

Quite frankly with so many real, human cases pending in the courts all over india, is this bit of judicial activism really necessary?

I love animals, but i somehow love humans more...

What say you?

Luv

Vish