‘Hurried, buried, denied’

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It was a case of justice ‘hurried, buried and denied’ for late Neeraj Grover’s family when the judicial system of India acquitted Maria Susairaj and awarded Emile Jerome 10 years’ imprisonment in the 2008 Neeraj grover murder case. Disappointed with the verdict, some of his friends have decided to stage a non-violent candlelight march in the capital today demanding justice for Grover, The vigil called ‘Justice for Neeraj’ will start from Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, at 6 pm and conclude at Jantar Mantar. Thousands of SMSes and emails have been circulated and many Delhiites are expected to participate in the vigil.
Shruti Puneet Kumar, marketing professional and a friend of Neeraj, says, “I knew Neeraj from college days and we studied together in Amity University. After the news of his brutal murder in 2008 we were in a state of shock and hoping for justice. It’s really sad that even though it was an open and shut case, the culprits didn’t get punished for their heinous act. We decided that instead of sitting quietly and accepting it, we will go to the aam janta and media to support us in reopening the case. A few professors and students from Amity University have confirmed their participation in today’s protest.”
Neeraj’s friends are shocked that after Maria’s release she is being offered films and shows. Roopa Soma Sundaran, an author, RJ and one of the organisers, says, “I was Neeraj’s classmate in college and he was one of the most amicable persons I know. Even on the day of his murder he had gone to help Maria with shifting, and she paid him back so brutally. Even people who didn’t know him personally are disgusted, and we are getting messages from all across the country to carry forward the plea on the Facebook page. After Jessica Lal and Priyadarshini Mattoo, even Neeraj’s murder case shows that the rich and powerful can get away with any crime. And only when media makes a hue and cry about it does our judiciary wake up. I have decided to pen the plight of this tragedy in my next book, Mirror Mirror On The Wall.”
“The need to get together and speak up in a non-violent way was required because it isn’t fair that wrongdoers get away with their heinous act so easily,” says Shruti Gupta, marketing professional and an organiser of the protest. She adds, “Maria repeatedly changed her statements from the time of murder till her bail, and the missing confessional documents filed by the police shows there was something fishy going on. Nobody is talking about Maria’s high-profile background and how her family has managed to get her out. It’s only Neeraj’s family that is fighting for their lost son, but they are not as powerful as Maria’s politician father. All of us have decided to help them fight the battle by organising vigils. After Mumbai’s candlelight march, where around 150 people participated, we are hoping that more people will join us in our fight against injustice.”