The influence of US Presidential elections cannot be denied. The special interest India had in the election can be attributed the Kamala Harris the now vice-president of the USA, who is of Indian origin. The elections which were followed by nearly all people have even had its impact on the judiciary. This was seen when a Gujarat’s Mirzapur Court stated “Corruption is Cancer,” a statement made by US President-elect Joe Biden.
Facts
The case was with a bail application. The application was filed by Hardik Damor and another accused Jagdish Parmar. Hardik Damor is a suspended mamlatdar and Jagdish Parmar is his agent. A mamlatdar is a gazetted officer of the State Government and is considered to be the head of the taluk. Hardik Damor was arrested for accepting Rs 25 lacs as a bribe in a land survey. Both the accused were arrested last month by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The case was brought before a special corruption court at Mirzapur.
Mirzapur Court Decision
J A Thakkar cited Joe Biden in his judgements when he decided that,
“At this stage, looking at the seriousness of the offence and its effect on the society, it is important to note the great remarks which is passed by Hon’ble President of the United States, Hon’ble Joe Biden about the corruption in a meeting in Bucharest with Romanian civil society groups and students back in May 2014, that ‘corruption is cancer that eats away at a citizen’s faith in a democracy, diminishes the instinct of innovation and creativity’.”
The Court also stated that
“In view of the gravity, nature and the role played by the applicant-accused and in the larger interest of the society, at this stage, this is not a fit case to exercise discretionary power under Section 439 of the CrPC to grant bail”
when denying bail to the accused in the case.
The Court also stated that
“This great remark is very significant for us as we are the world’s largest democracy and therefore, it can be said that such type of matter is connected with the faith of a citizen.”
By stating so, the Court acknowledged the influence that all elections have on a country. This is a clear indicator that the US elections have made its impact on India. The intention behind quoting Biden was to highlight corruption in the society. The Court denied the bail plea of the accused in the grant case.
