Mumbai Mirror, page 2, Monday, 1 Feb 10 – ‘Nooria’s father comes to her ‘spirited’ defence’

While it is easy to understand what Nooria’s father is going through given the seriousness of her actions, denial and ‘covering-up’ is certainly not going to help his errant ‘child’ in the long-term; the money and contacts may get her out of a legal tangle but will it help her get over what she has done?

The blame however, is not his alone; if law takes its course, Nooria will spend a considerable time in jail which alone won’t help in this rehabilitation process.  The reason we punish is to allow reflection and give the culprit a fair chance at reform.  Detention alone will not help achieve this goal. The law needs to change here; offenders such as Nooria need to be made accountable for their actions.
After a detailed psychiatric evaluation to assess whether the alcohol was an indulgence or an addiction needing treatment, the following course of action could be considered:
•    The culprit should take financial responsibility for the family of the victims/deceased.
•    Community service where one is made to work with people who have lost loved ones to careless accidents like these is key.
•    Working in a de-addiction set-up where the culprit is made to face the harsh consequence of over-indulgence could also act as a strong deterrent for the future.

Nothing can help bring the deceased back to life; the need of the hour is to help and stabilise the victim’s families (both at an emotional and financial level) and ensure that the culprit takes accountability for his actions and work towards becoming a responsible and mature individual.
Detention alone cannot be the answer!!