Rohit Shetty’s blockbuster movie Singham released in 2011, in which Ajay Devgn played the titular role is remembered as an iconic cop movie. However, Bombay High Court judge Justice Gautam Patel on Friday (September 22) said that the movie set a “wrong precedent,” adding that the cinematic depiction of “instant delivery of justice” by a hero cop in such movies sends a very harmful message.
During his speech at an event organised by the Indian Police Foundation to mark its annual day and Police Reforms Day, Justice Patel also questioned the impatience of the public with the process of law. While speaking on the police reforms, Justice Patel mentioned the 2006 Supreme Court judgement in the Prakash Singh case pertaining to the police reforms calling it a “missed opportunity” as the apex court took a narrow approach.
In this context, Justice Gautam Patel highlighted how the public views the police as affected by the public impatience with the process of law. He stated that when a rape accused is killed in an encounter while allegedly trying to escape, it is celebrated by the public saying that justice has been served.
While pointing out that this “impatience” is deeply rooted in the popular culture and is reflected in Indian cinema, Justice Patel mentioned the film Singham and its climax scene wherein the entire police force descends on politician Jaykant Sikare (played by controversial actor Prakash Raj) and demonstrates how justice is served.
“They accuse courts of letting the guilty off. What is the answer? The hero cop delivers justice single-handedly. I want you all to think of Singham here and especially that climax scene where the entire force descends on the politician played by Prakash Raj. His dialogue really feeds into this mythology and valorizes unilateral police action,” Justice Patel opined.
Justice Patel also talked about how judges are shown in the movies as docile, timid, and badly dressed. Such movies accuse the judges of letting the guilty go free and then the hero cop delivers justice. Justice Gautam Patel said, “In movies, police rail against judges who are shown as docile, timid, thickly spectacled and often very badly dressed. They accuse the courts of letting the guilty go. The hero cop delivers justice single-handedly.”
The Bombay High Court judge also advised the people to control their impatience asserting that “processes of law are slow to ensure and uphold the cardinal principle that the liberty of an individual is not confiscated.”
Justice Gautam Patel further noted that we the processes of law are abandoned for “shortcuts”, the rule of law would be subverted.
