A Big Little Murder (Documentary; 2019)
Channel News Asia
You think you have everything under control. You work hard to provide for the family, give what you missed out, and have their future all carved out, nice and smooth. You want to open up opportunities for your little ones and smother them with love and gifts. One perfect day you are swimming in bliss, and the next day, without any forewarning, you are stuck in a cesspool of melancholia.
8th September 2017 was just another day for a 7-year-old boy from a middle-class family in Gurugram (Gurgaon), a highly industrial township near Delhi. Within minutes of dropping him at the entrance to the private international school that he goes to, the parents get a call informing of him being hurt.
Long story short. The 7-year-old boy, a chubby and lovable @Prince, was brutally killed in the school washroom with his throat slit by a kitchen knife. A frenzy ensues, with all parents getting upset that such an event should happen in a reputable school. Wild accusations come flying all around - that he was sexually abused, that he had seen some unsavoury conduct of teachers, etcetera. Public pressure mounts, and the Police, with nothing much to work with, come up with a suspect by evening. The school bus conductor was seen giving TV confessions.
Pretty soon, people come to their senses. A review of CCTV footage and logical deductions prove that the conductor could not have done the crime. CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) was summoned to assist. Things take a turn after this. A senior in the school, a 16-year-old boy, referred to as 'Bholu' (innocent), becomes the prime suspect. Psychological assessment of this boy reveals that he may be a victim of bullying, body shaming and inability to fit with his peers. Despite what his learned parents (father is a lawyer) think, their obedient, keyboard-playing son may be suffering from depression.
The slow cogwheel of the law is still churning slowly to rectify certain technicalities before 'Bholu' can be charged. Because of the heinous nature of the crime, he may be charged as an adult.
I thought this documentary was presented in a very precise manner. The sequence of events is narrated nicely with the aid of computer graphics and aerial shots of the location. Purists may grumble that the channel is guilty of trial by media. Interviews from the victim's and the accused's parents are juxtaposed to illustrate that both sides of the argument may hold water. A disconcerting film that leaves a persistent unease feeling.
No matter how much you think your blind spots are covered, the black dog is just waiting to pounce unannounced, even on a seemingly perfect day. Is the human race cursed? You think you have conquered one, then you realise that you have another and another.
Channel News Asia
You think you have everything under control. You work hard to provide for the family, give what you missed out, and have their future all carved out, nice and smooth. You want to open up opportunities for your little ones and smother them with love and gifts. One perfect day you are swimming in bliss, and the next day, without any forewarning, you are stuck in a cesspool of melancholia.8th September 2017 was just another day for a 7-year-old boy from a middle-class family in Gurugram (Gurgaon), a highly industrial township near Delhi. Within minutes of dropping him at the entrance to the private international school that he goes to, the parents get a call informing of him being hurt.
Long story short. The 7-year-old boy, a chubby and lovable @Prince, was brutally killed in the school washroom with his throat slit by a kitchen knife. A frenzy ensues, with all parents getting upset that such an event should happen in a reputable school. Wild accusations come flying all around - that he was sexually abused, that he had seen some unsavoury conduct of teachers, etcetera. Public pressure mounts, and the Police, with nothing much to work with, come up with a suspect by evening. The school bus conductor was seen giving TV confessions.
The slow cogwheel of the law is still churning slowly to rectify certain technicalities before 'Bholu' can be charged. Because of the heinous nature of the crime, he may be charged as an adult.
 |
| The Victim / Accused |
No matter how much you think your blind spots are covered, the black dog is just waiting to pounce unannounced, even on a seemingly perfect day. Is the human race cursed? You think you have conquered one, then you realise that you have another and another.
Comments
Post a Comment