There’s nothing quite as edifying — or as cathartic — as Public Outrage. It gives us a sense of moral purpose, fills the vacuum of vapid self-interest, and allows us to sublimate our own excesses.

So when a fast track court in Mumbai recently acquitted 21-year-old Alistair Perreira of culpable homicide for killing seven sleeping construction workers in a case of drunken driving last December, we couldn’t help but be “outraged.”

Fortunately, our indignation has found official support. “Aggrieved” by Perreira’s “grossly inadequate” sentence — no more than six months’ simple imprisonment — the Maharashtra Government will challenge it in the high court today, and seek to charge him with murder (Section 302). In addition, Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar will hear a suo moto writ petition “to prevent miscarriage of justice, if any” following the “apathetic manner” of investigation and prosecution by the state and police.

Mind you, Vilasrao Deshmukh’s government may seem like an unlikely crusader. But, obviously, there’s always room for rectitude. What I fail to understand, however, is our sanctimonious smugness — for several reasons.

Firstly, if inebriation was indeed the cause of the crime, it is conspicuously absent in Perreira’s charges (he was merely convicted for rash and negligent driving, causing hurt, and fined Rs 5 lakh to compensate the victims). Why? Because six months after the incident, the state executive seems to have done absolutely nothing to amend our ambiguous and lenient legislation on drunk driving. Besides, after the initial crackdown, the police, who have been accused of “bungling” the evidence against Perreira, are back to their good old wink-wink policing. The nakabandis have vanished, the breathalysers evaporated — presumably until the next gruesome carnage.

... contd.