Naga Babu, stalwart in the Telugu film world and the political spectrum, recently quoted the fact as put forth by Sir William Garrow: “No man is to be pronounced guilty of reason, or of any other crime until he is found guilty there of by the verdict of twelve good men and true; that is, by the verdict of a jury.” This principle of justice comes forward with the concept of being innocent till proven guilty. Though Naga Babu does not mention by name choreographer cc in his tweet, his appeal resonates with those persons who have been accused but not convicted yet, possibly carrying along with other open discussions going on over the charges brought against Jani Master under the POCSO Act.
Quoting Garrow, Nagababu wants to stress due process and the judicial system cannot be halted due to public opinion. The statement seems to reflect that serious allegations, whatever grave they be, should not be dealt with as determinations of guilt till proven in a court of law. Though no names are given, the timing and context have led many to associate the tweet with Jani Master’s case.
Also Read : Telugu Choreographer Jani Master Charged Under POCSO Act
However, the doctrine of law espoused by Garrow in the opinion of Naga Babu created controversy. According to some, not with standing innocence is a fundamental principle, it cannot be permitted to undermine the greater need for an investigation into a serious charge. Several have also felt that such remarks may trivialize accusations.
In this case, the one who is in favor of Naga Babu’s Twitter could explain it as a call for fairness and to remind us not to presume someone guilty based on charges. It should be the judicial process that decides the guilt or innocence, not public opinion or media portrayal.
In a nutshell, Naga Babu makes use of the statement of Sir William Garrow to drive home an important legal principle in the very same breath in which he manages to draw attention to the razor’s edge between what is due to an accused and not allowing grave charges go scot-free.
