Constitutional rights define life of citizens, societies: CJI
New Delhi, July 26 : Constitutional rights define and shape the life of citizens and societies and have to be construed and developed in such a manner that their real intent and existence percolates to the lowest rungs in the society, said Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.
Delivering the M.C. Setalvad Memorial Lecture, for the first and longest serving Attorney General of India, he said Constitutional rights' positive exposition and assertive and energetic appreciation constitute the "lifeblood of progressive societies".
"These rights would become a dead letter without their dynamic, vibrant and pragmatic interpretation. That is the raison d'etre for the Constitution and the constitutional rights. This also gives birth to an equally important role of the state to implement the constitutional rights effectively.
"The state action has to be concrete and not such that its effects leak into so many rivulets that they dissipate. Mere rhetoric and passivity by the state without reflection of serious commitment will only result in reducing the solemn duty of the state to that of a feigned act of affectation," Justice Misra said.
He said the judiciary has always remained alive to its solemn duty placed upon its shoulders by the Constitution, that is, to protect the constitutional rights of the citizens of the country.
Seaking on "Dynamic Ascendance of Constitutional Rights: A Progressive Approach", Misra stressed that it is a Constitution made for a progressive society and its working depends upon prevalent atmosphere and conditions.
Since the Constitution is itself a "dynamic and forward spirited document", then it would be fallacy to think that the constitutional rights guaranteed therein will remain static, he said.
"The constitutional rights also being dynamic, were on the ascendance in the past, are on the ascendance in the present and will always remain in the ascendance in the future, as well.
"Constitutional rights cannot and should not, for the sake of democracy, stop growing and this I say with a certain degree of confidence as perpetually expanding constitutional rights will only contribute towards strengthening of a constitutional democratic set up like ours," Justice Misra said.
He also said that gender equality has been an important issue before courts.
Justice Misra said in Madhya Pradesh women reservation for panchayat case, "argument is that women cannot administer and will depend on their husbands. This is preposterous. The case is before Supreme Court but I will not hear the matter".
"It's a judge's duty to see that the right you have created and recognised is also implemented," he said.
Acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Gita Mittal, who was also present at the gathering, said that public faith in judiciary should never be compromised.
"Strength and resilience of the judiciary lies in the confidence and faith of the people in it," she said at the memorial lecture organised by the Bar Association of India.
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Woman, 2 sons found dead in Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): Three members of a family were found dead inside their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji on Friday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, officials said.
Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the premises to execute a court order related to possession of the property. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door.
Inside, officers found Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons, Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), hanging from the ceiling, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement. All three were declared dead.
A handwritten note was recovered from the room, suggesting the family had been struggling with depression.
"The handwritten note indicates emotional distress faced by the family due to which the family may have taken the extreme step," the officer said.
The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.
Residents of the neighbourhood said they were shocked to learn about the deaths, adding that the family kept largely to themselves.
Pankaj Kashyap, a resident of Girinagar, said he learnt about the deaths while leaving for work. "I live and work here and was leaving for work when I saw many people standing outside and talking. That is how I got to know that three people had committed suicide. I also saw several police vehicles outside, but I do not know much beyond that," he said.
Baldev, another neighbour, said the family had been living in the newly constructed house for around two years. "We only knew that a mother and her two children lived there. They had moved into the newly built house around two years ago. We did not interact much with them. Today we heard that all three have committed suicide, and whatever we know is based on what people here are saying," he said.
Another neighbour, Ramesh Kumar, claimed the family had earlier attempted suicide.
"About fifteen to twenty days ago, the two sons in the family had attempted suicide and police and ambulances had come. That was when I first got to know who they were. I do not recognise them by face, but we saw the ambulances and police take the two sons that day. Today again we saw ambulances and police arriving, so everyone came out to see what had happened. I do not know how long they had been living here, but this is all we know," he said.
Police said they are examining the family's financial condition, social circumstances, and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. Further investigation is underway.
