WHAT IS LAW?

Law is a system of rules, usually enforced through a set of institutions. It shapes

politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves
as a primary social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates
everything from buying a bus ticket to trading on derivatives markets.
Property law defines rights and obligations related to the transfer and title of personal
and real property. Trust law applies to assets held for investment and financial security,
while tort law allows claims for compensation if a person's rights or property are
harmed. If the harm is criminalized in a statute, criminal law offers means by which the
state can prosecute the perpetrator. Constitutional law provides a framework for the
creation of law, the protection of human rights and the election of political
representatives. Administrative law is used to review the decisions of government
agencies, while international law governs affairs between sovereign nation states in
activities ranging from trade to environmental regulation or military action. Writing in
350 BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle declared, "The rule of law is better than the
rule of any individual."
 Legal systems elaborate rights and responsibilities in a variety of ways. A general
distinction can be made between civil law jurisdictions, which codify their laws, and
common law systems, where judge made law is not consolidated. In some countries,
religion still informs the law. Law provides a rich source of scholarly inquiry, into legal
history, philosophy, economic analysis or sociology. Law also raises important and
complex issues concerning equality, fairness and justice. "In its majestic equality", said
the author Anatole France in 1894, "the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under
bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread."[7] In a typical democracy, the
central institutions for interpreting and creating law are the three main branches of
government, namely an impartial judiciary, a democratic legislature, and an accountable
executive. To implement and enforce the law and provide services to the public, a
government's bureaucracy, the military and police are vital. While all these organs of
the state are creatures created and bound by law, an independent legal profession and a
vibrant civil society inform and support their progress.
 Ranjith,

 14 years.

 The boy was a native of West Bengal and came from a very poor family. He
along with 9 other children from West Bengal was brought to Kerala for
work. Ranjith was placed in a gold shop at Thrissur. Long hours of work (16
hours), with very little food and physical abuse were a part of his life.
Unable to take more of this ill treatment he finally escaped from the place
and came to Calicut.

 Calicut Control Police referred 14-year-old Ranjith to Kozikode CHILDLINE

on 11th April 2005. During the course of interactions the child gave the
number of the agent. A team meeting was organized following which an
Action Plan was formulated to rescue the other children. One of the lady
constables, posing as a schoolteacher, called the agent informing him that
Ranjith was with her. She asked the agent to come to Calicut bus stand at 5
P.M and informed that she would hand over the boy to him at the said place
and time. The next day a-team consisting of Circle Inspector, Sub Inspector,
the lady constable, and two police constables along with the boy arrived at
the bust stand in civil dress. However, the agent did not turn up instead in
his place another man was sent. He was arrested.
 LUCKNOW: For nineteen-year-old Rinki dreams of a happily
married life was never to be. Barely a month after her marriage,
she was allegedly tortured and then set ablaze by her in-laws for
dowry in Indiranagar in the small hours of Saturday.

 Daughter of late Gyan Chand, a fish contractor who expired a year

ago, Rinki was married to Anil on April 19... However, soon after
the marriage, Balakram [Anil’s father] demanded a colour television
instead of a black and white one and a motorcycle as well. When
Rinki’s mother failed to meet their demands, the teenage
housewife was subjected to severe physical torture, allegedly by
her husband and mother-in-law... On Saturday morning she [her
mother] was informed that Rinki was charred to death when a
kerosene lamp accidentally fell on her and her clothes caught fire.
However, prima-facie it appeared that the victim was first attacked
as her teeth was found broken. Injuries were also apparent on her
wrist and chest.
 Jessica Lal case

 The Delhi High Court has convicted Manu Sharma under Section 302 of the Indian
Penal Code for the murder of model Jessica Lal.

 Justices R S Sodhi and P K Bhasin also found Vikas Yadav and Amarjeet Singh Gill
alias Tony guilty of conspiracy and destruction of evidence. They have been convicted
under Section 201 of IPC. The court declared that Manu Sharma, son of a senior
Haryana Congress leader, had actually fired the shot that killed Jessica.

 Vikas Yadav is the son of controversial Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav and is also
an accused in the Nitish Katara murder case. Gill is an executive with a multinational
firm. All the three were directed to be taken into custody forthwith.

 While Manu Sharma was not present in the court, Gill, who was present, was taken
into custody.

 The Bench issued a production warrant against Vikas Yadav who is already in judicial
custody in the Katara murder case. "Arrest Manu where ever he is," the Bench said,
directing all the three convicts to be present on Wednesday during arguments on
sentence.

 On the night of April 29-30, 1999, Jessica was shot dead at Tamarind Court, a
restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani. Manu, Vikas Yadav, Gill and Alok Khanna
had gone to attend a party at the Qutub Collonade on the fateful night.
 On the night of April 29-30, 1999, Jessica was shot dead at Tamarind Court, a
restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani. Manu, Vikas Yadav, Gill and Alok Khanna
had gone to attend a party at the Qutub Collonade on the fateful night.

 On February 21 2006, all the accused were acquitted 'for want of evidence' by trial
judge S L Bhayana, now a judge in the High Court. This triggered a massive media
and public reaction over the judgement in the case. 

 The case was re-opened following the police appeal in March, challenging the
acquittal. Justices R S Sodhi and P K Bhasin, conducted a day-to-day hearing over 25
days.

 'We have no hesitation in reaching the conclusion that Siddharth Vasisht alias Manu
Sharma has been guilty under Section 302 of IPC and Section 26 of the Arms
Act', the 61-page much-awaited judgement said.

 Manu Sharma's lawyers have said they will plead for minimum punishment. He faces
life sentence or death under Section 302. "We will plead for minimum sentence," said
R D Rana, one of the defence counsel for Sharma and other accused.

 The Delhi Police was ordered by the High Court to investigate the role of its officials,
who allegedly tampered with the evidence and influenced the investigations. The
court fixed Wednesday for hearing arguments before pronouncing the quantum of
sentence for the three convicts.

 All the remaining accused including Yograj Singh, father of cricketer Yuvraj Singh,
was acquitted.
 JAIPUR: As the justice-for-Ruchika cry got shriller, a senior IPS officer from
Rajasthan also seemed headed for trouble with a tribal woman,

 Emboldened by the outcry against Ruchika's molester, claiming she should

get justice for being raped by the cop 13 years ago.

 While Ruchika was a minor who was molested by then Haryana DGP S P S
Rathore in 1990, the victim in this case is a tribal woman who claims she
was raped by the then Rajasthan DIG Madhukar Tandon at his Noida
residence on January 21, 1997. Tandon has been absconding since then.
On Tuesday, the victim, a resident of Bandikui village in Dausa district,
staged a dharna near chief minister Ashok Gehlot's residence along with her
family members and Dausa MP Kirori Lal Meena.
"While the whole country is discussing the Ruchika case, there are several
other cases which are going unnoticed. I too want justice," the victim told
reporters.
She was accompanied in the protest sit-in by her husband, the former DIG's
orderly who claimed he was forced to quit. "I was being pressured by
seniors in the police department to withdraw the case in exchange for
money and when I refused I was even beaten up a few times," said
Khayaliram Meena.
 After the January 21 'rape', an FIR was lodged at a Noida police
station. But Tandon, a Rajasthan-cadre IPS officer reportedly well-
connected in political and bureaucratic circles, vanished after that.
However, he reportedly visited Jaipur later and even sold his
property. This included a 1,500 square feet plot in Hanuman Nagar, a
10 bigha farmhouse on Ajmer Road and a plot in Vaishali Nagar.
Sources claim that while the land transactions were being finalized,
Tandon stayed at an IPS officer's bungalow.
Tandon was suspended in 2002, five years after the FIR was lodged
against him. A Dausa magisterial court had ordered all his property,
including his house in Noida, seized, but no action has been taken by
Noida police. When reporters visited Tandon's Noida plot, the
residents said they bought the house in 2005.
In 1998, the Ashok Gehlot government had promised in the Congress
party's manifesto that the property belonging to Tandon would be
forfeited but despite coming to power a second time (in 2008), it
failed to make headway in the case.
State home minister Shanti Dhariwal, however, promised to look into
the case, which he said was only now brought to his notice. "I had no
knowledge of the case because this department has never been
under me. Now that I know of this case, I will certainly take it up and
find out why the culprit hasn't been arrested so far," he said.