Eleven years

that's what it took Manu Sharma, the accused in Jessica Lal's case to be sentenced by the Supreme Court...eleven years in which her parents and sister waged a lonely battle and eleven years which her parents did not see to live the day, the killer who destroyed a family was finally put at bay. This story makes remarkable judgements on our Justice system, on one hand you feel that for once some one gets justice while on the other hand you feel that it's too little too late. I have followed Jessica's case closely, as closely as someone in Hyderabad can follow a case in Mumbai/Delhi, it first broke out when I was in school and when NDTV was actually a respected entity, I can almost visualise the first TV debate I saw on this case, Sabrina Lal, her father, Bina Ramani and a counsel for the killer Sharma and thinking that nothing's going to happen here, it finally has and is a victory of the tenacity of one brave brave lady, Sabrina Lal. What she must have endured I really do not dare know, but I'll say this, this has surely come at a very high cost- of personal space, individual freedom and of immense unyielding struggle!!For those who think that ends justifies means, it isnt always so.

This is for her and another remarkable lady, Neelam Katara. These are the stuff heroes are made of, our REAL icons.