Choksi must face
trial in India
The arrest of fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi in Belgium, an accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case marks a significant victory for Indian investigating agencies. However, the job is still incomplete. India should up the ante for his extradition where he must stand trial for the massive financial fraud he committed along with his nephew Nirav Modi. Both fraudsters fled India before details of the colossal fraud became public. Nirav was arrested in Britain in 2019 but has managed to stall his extradition so far on one pretext or the other. The financial fraud committed by fugitive fraudsters shook the country’s banking industry with depositors wondering whether it is safe to park money in banks.
Belgium, known for its strong stance on human rights, must do everything within its right to extradite a fugitive who has looted India’s public funds.
The Indian government has claimed that the amount involved in bank frauds has dropped appreciably in the past few years, thanks to steps such as the setting up of an online Central Fraud Registry. However, catching the ‘big thieves’ is no less important for strengthening deterrence and reassuring depositors.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Using old popular
songs — good or bad?
Popular music composer Ilayaraja has initiated action against the makers of actor Ajith's latest release 'Good Bad Ugly' for using three of his iconic songs without consent. He also hit the headlines many a time in the past too, initiating legal action against those using his work without proper permission. The songs used in the new movie include the very popular 'Illamai idho idho' from the film Sakalakala Vallavan, 'En jodi manja kuruvi' from 'Vikram' (1986) , and 'Oththa roova' from the movie Nattupura Pattu. The veteran music composer has demanded an official apology along with a compensation of Rs 5 crore from the production house for using his music without consent.
This incident once again highlights the music composer's commitment to protecting his creative work, making it clear that intellectual property rights must be respected. Gone are the days when film makers sit with music composer's for hours and days to compose tunes and what we see nowadays is instant recreation and plagiarisation of old popular tunes exposing the sad condition of present day film music.
Gimmicks of remaking or incorporating old songs to evoke nostalgia and thereby creating a sense of familiarity for audiences -old and young - can work for sometime but not always. Also it is surprising to note present day film makers either 'forgetting or ignoring' copyright infringement and potentially resulting in lawsuits and financial penalties plus embarrassment.
M Pradyu, Kannur
Forensic science as
a discipline in India
Crime has no borders and, therefore, forensic science has no bounds. The application of scientific principles to criminal cases is of great significance because it contributes immensely towards timely justice. Besides, innocent people should not suffer for no fault of theirs.
By the same token, the abysmal conviction rates in criminal cases need to be corrected, and foolproof collection of evidence, its interpretation and reporting cannot be stressed more. DNA match test, fingerprint collection and analysis, and toxicology are extremely important for a forensic scientist as well as the court of law.
So, it is quite imperative to train youngsters in forensic sciences. Apart from MD in forensic medicine, there are several Master of Science (MSc) courses that impart knowledge to students.
The National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), established in 2009 at Gandhinagar, and elevated to the national university status in 2009, is in the forefront of forensic training offering MSc in different branches of forensic science.
India has NFSU campuses in eight other cities and an international campus in Uganda. As Home Minister Amit Shah told a conference recently, nine such campuses are on the anvil which is good news.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola