Burden of Power

ROYAL DURBAR

The Hill Palace today is venue to a court of an extra ordinary nature. The Durbars are usually held for issues of national importance or legal issues tricky enough to be beyond consideration of the Magisterates of Provincial levels.

The case brought before the court today is like that.

The court crier announced before the Durbar,

"All arise for His Highness Rama Varma, the King of Cochin, the Perumpadappu Mooppin, the Emperor of all Cochin, Venad and Kolathiris."

The King arrived accompanied by his Chaver soldiers and seated himself on the throne.

The crier announced next,

"All arise for His Highness Vikram Kerala Varma, the Crown Prince of Cochin and Lord of Nilambur."

The crown prince arrived and sat at his chair.

The court crier then summoned the plaintiffs of the case.

"Your Excellency, this case involves a member of the Royal Family. Capt. Prince Rajesh Varma is serving in Royal Cochin Police Force and was in charge of an outpost in the Jalalabad Province. On the night of July 17th, he is accused of raping and murdering a girl from the town of Maylisuu. The woman in question Salma Jalal was a Communist advocate in the region. Capt. Rajesh Varma had filed a report on July15 stating that Salma is suspected of fomenting civil unrest.

On the night in question Capt. Varma and four constables from his outpost drove to her house and abducted her. Next morning her dead body was found in a ravine adjacent to the highway.

Detailed postmortem reveals the presence of semen and indicates signs of $%&@ and physical assault. The relevant documents have been submitted. The case against Capt. Varma was lodged with the Commissioner of the Precinct by Sergeant Raman Unni, a beat Constable in the outpost.

Due to the rank and station of the accused the case has been on an accelerated trial.

DNA analysis at Jalalabad State University confirms the identity of the five accused.

The case was conclusively tried before Jalalabad Supreme Magisterate and a sentence of 20 years of Hard Imprisonment was awarded to all five accused. However Captain Rajesh Varma had called for Royal Appeal on grounds of belonging to Royal Family. Hence he is being produced before the Durbar."

The King of Cochin pored over the documents and transcripts of trial.

"Bring forth the accused, " the King said.

King's Guards in full dress livery brought Capt. Prince Rajesh Varma before the Durbar. He was smiling a triumphant smile as he walked in.

"How do you plead, Rajesh?"

"Not guilty, uncle. I did not do it. She was a Communist and this is a Communist plot to deface me, " Rajesh said smiling and gave a triumphant sneer at Sgt. Rama Unni who was present in Dress uniform.

The King said, "I see. It is a stated fact that I and the Kingdom frowns upon Communism and Communists. Any rise in communism is anathema to us."

At this Capt. Rajesh's smile became even broader.

"However, rule of law is the most supreme in our Kingdom. Even I am not immune to the power of Law. It seems Prince Rajesh Varma felt that being a member of Royal Family gives him immunity from law and he can gain respite from its punishment through a vain appeal. In that he did a grave mistake. The burden and responsibility of law lies most heavily on people sworn to protect and uphold it. A member of the Royal Family is hence even more bound to law than an ordinary citizen. Since they have greater privileges they also have greater responsibilities and punishments. Rajesh it was your mistake to appeal the life sentence. For in this Durbar I sentence you to a swift death.

Captain. Rajesh Varma shall be executed by King's Guards by decapitation. Though I am indeed sorry at the loss of a nephew, I believe it must be so as a lesson to the rest of the Royal Family and to my subjects. If that is all the Durbar is adjourned."

The shell shocked Rajesh Varma was led to the execution courtyard by the Liveried King's Guards. The relatives of the slain Salma Jalal who had come to the Durbar were led to witness the execution. A smart Major of the King's Guards approached the Prince and laid a black shroud over his head. He was then made to prostrate before a white marble execution block. The Major took the shining and polished sword from his scabbard and with a single stroke the head of the late Prince fell into a basket placed for the purpose.

The now satisfied family of Salma Jalal were then taken out of the Palace so tat they could return home.

From a concealed chamber looking into the execution courtyard the King and Crown Prince looked on in silence. Shaking his head in infinite misery the King walked to his chamber. With copious tears flowing down his cheeks the King dialed the number of his beloved younger sister whose son he had ordered executed.

Thus is the burden of power.