When laws are made in any country they are obviously meant to be followed by all the citizens of that country. If this is true that, all citizens must follow all laws then, the truth is also that, all the punishments assigned for specific crimes should also be the same for all. This is correctly stated but, the catch comes in the implementation of this truth.
A few statements about law are so high sounding and convincing that no one can object to their truth. A very rosy picture of the laws of a country is that, all are the same in front of law, no one, yes, no one is above the law, and all criminals should be treated alike. All this seems very soothing to the ears and very fair too.
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However, what is the truth on the ground, in reality. The question that arises is that, are really all people same in front of law, is no one yes, no one above the law? When we see things on the ground the picture is absolutely incorrect and absolutely contrary to the tall claims. The ground realities reveal quite a different story, at least in India. On paper yes, all are equal before law, and no one is above law but facts are self contradictory.
Here, in India at least it appears that law deals with an individual only after seeing his/her face. If the face permits then the law is applied and if not, any law can be overlooked. The qualities for being favoured by law are money and influence. If the offender has money to buy the legal machinery, or he has a status in the highest echelons, then he is surely to be considered as being above law. If however, he has neither money to buy anyone, nor any influence then, yes then the law will see him through and he will be punished according to the laws of the land.
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The qualities of money power and influence thus come to play a major role in deciding whether one is to be punished as per the law or to be left on some pretext. Only when the background of the culprit is well deciphered that, a decision is taken regarding the punishment to be meted out to him.
If these considerations were not a reality then, cases like the hit and run case by the Nanda kid or Salman Khan would have had very different punishments. There have been many outstanding cases like this which indicate how much law can be moulded to fit into the financial/ influential status of the culprit.
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Such cases of the rich and wealthy are numerous. If six people were killed in one stroke by any person who was not a Nanda or a Salman Khan, sure enough the verdict of punishment would have been very different. These people who should outright be branded as murderers, but no, they belong to the so called elite class of the country, how can they be punished? Where then is the equality before law?
Politicians of all hues are committing crimes day in and day out and, no law of the land can book them and punish them. To cap it all, this class of politicians commits crimes and gets rewarded with getting elected again and again. Where, I ask is equality before law in this country? If it would be, someone who is of a lesser breed than the politician having committing the same crime would languish in jail for life. So, when the politician is getting a reward for a crime, the lesser citizen is being punished. This is the equality before law in India.
In order to set things right and be true to this claim of equality before law, the people who matter will have to set things right. It is they who have to reduce corruption and see that, even if their own kin is involved in any crime, he should be booked like any other common man. As long as this does not happen, equality before law, at least in India will remain a grim affair. It is a myth that can be easily seen that law is equal, for, in fact law here is very very partial in its dealings with the masses and the elite.