Plea Bargaining- An Innovative Step For Indian Legal System

Abstract

First of all I would like to tell a very famous story, which reflects the passion of justice in Indian justice system. We all have must heard the name the Mughal emperor Jahangir. He was known for his justice by everyone. He was very passionate about justice. His noble justice earned fame in history. This story is that, one day Jahangir’s beloved queen Noorjahan targeted a deer into the king’s palace apartment known as “Aahukhana”. Unfortunately the arrow hit a washer man, it was an unintentional act that the washer man received arrow stroke and died. The wife of the washer man rang the metallic bell of justice. Jahangir immediately responded to the cry for justice and called the “Fariyadi” to hear his complaint, he summoned the queen from the royal pavilion to the justice-hall as an ordinary accuse. After hearing he pronounced judgment as per law of equality-life for life. All the courtiers sitting in the justice hall perplexed. Even the Washer man’s wife looked in disbelief that Jahangir would sacrifice his most beloved for the justice. They begged for the life of the queen. Even the washer man’s wife craved for mercy. In order to meet the strict claims of justice he stood firm on his judgment until he was convinced by the jury-courtiers that there is concession in the “quranic” law that if the aggrieved party agrees, the strict claim of justice may be meted out with “Plea bargaining”. The victim’s wife happily agreed to it and the queen was relieved of the punishment after paying the bargained amount to the full satisfaction of the aggrieved.