The Suleman Usman bakery business in Mumbai is stagnating

At the heart of Mumbai’s legal landscape, the Suleman Usman Bakery case stands as a testament to the ongoing quest for justice. Three decades after the tragic events of January 9, 1993, when a police raid led by then Police Commissioner RD Tyagi in Mumbai resulted in the deaths of eight bakery and madarsa workers, the wheels of justice continue to turn slowly. Despite being the last case to emerge from the 1992-1993 riots, the proceedings in this case were marked by repeated postponements, leaving the victims’ families and the public in a state of limbo.

Supreme Court intervention

Recent developments in the case have drawn renewed attention to the case’s long journey through the judicial system. The Supreme Court’s intervention, on a petition highlighting the inability to implement the BN Srikrishna report, has injected new urgency into the proceedings. The report, which examined incidents of police misconduct during the riots, implicated former police commissioner Ram Dev Tyagi for his role in the raid and subsequent fatalities. However, despite the damning revelations, little progress has been made in the case, with legal hurdles and administrative changes further complicating matters.

Obstacles to justice

A major obstacle hindering progress in the case is the unresolved issue of the victims’ post-mortem reports. Shockingly, the original documents were destroyed on police orders, raising questions about transparency and accountability within the law enforcement apparatus. Attempts to present alternative documents in court were met with objections, leading to lengthy legal battles and further delays in the process. Meanwhile, the changing personnel landscape, including the reassignment of the president and the district attorney, has added a new layer of complexity to the already complicated case.

Human costs of delay

Amid the legal maneuvering and bureaucratic hurdles, the human costs of delayed justice continue to be felt. Witnesses, like ghosts from the past, emerge sporadically, but are rejected or postponed amid the maze of postponement. The recent scene in court, where a grieving witness from Mumbra waited in vain to testify, underlines the profound impact of the case on the lives of those affected. While the Suleman Usman Bakery case remains in legal limbo, the memory of the eight lives lost on that fateful day serves as a poignant reminder of the unfinished business of justice in Mumbai’s legal system.