India's legal system is now unreliable at state level

It has always been the case that our legal system has been more reliable at national level than at local or regional level.

However, there are now contradictory trends, with the national system weakening in some areas, while the local system seems to be strong enough to challenge national weakness in certain areas.

However, we still have incidents of total flouting of the law at local or regional level.

For example: Manoj Pradhan, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Orissa, from the Bharatiya Janata Party (the political wing of the neo-fascistic Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), has been accused in several cases in relation to the attempted genocide in Kandhamal District.

Reliable reports say that the accused threatened one of the witnesses inside the Court, and even threatened the police right inside the court.

As far as I know, the Court has refused to take cognizance of his threatening behaviour - which should surely be enough on its own to land him behind bars.

We have descended to a sorry condition if MLAs display such barbaric behaviour in the first place; and even more if Courts are now so powerless, corrupt or ineffective.