Court Martial

The police knows all about me and so does the Indian government.

But despite that they gave me the chance to be in uniform

and sent me to oppose a fine officer like you in this lawsuit.

I guess that is hassling you.

Right?

Sir, I request

that Capt Kapoor's statement should be struck off the record.

He spoke in an excess of emotion and anger.

He is dazed.

After all, he is a human being.

Major Puri.

Is he a human being?

Are you implying that

Capt Kapoor can say what he pleases in anger

and do anything he wants?

If a man loses his mind

it will not obstruct the fight for justice.

Capt Roy.

You are fighting for justice in the wrong corner, this time.

You're defending a murderer.

Major Puri.

The court will give a verdict about that.

Neither of us will decide that.

The court needs to consider

why did a simple, disciplined soldier

shoot 2 officers of his own platoon?

Could it be that he was scared

Capt Mohan Verma and Capt Kapoor would try to kill him?

His wife did mention it in court.

Her life was in danger.

From her husband.

Just imagine, sir.

I wonder how he treated

Ramchander to coerce him to take up his gun.

When there is danger to life

even a cow will attack.

He is human.

Capt Roy, you are very smart.

Yes. You are very smart.

What do you wish to prove?

Tell me.

Are you trying to prove from that ash stray incident that

Sawar Ramchander was so scared that day

he was so terror stricken that he fired the shots?

My dear friend, let me inform you

on 10th June at 9 pm

the two officers were on a motorbike and they were unarmed.

Sawar Ramchandra

shot them without calling out a challenge.

They didn't have any weapons!

Don't you try to

prove that this was an act of self defence.

This court will listen to witnesses and evidence.

It won't respond to made up stories.

Sir, I get the feeling that

Capt Roy is here to make a speech at a psychology seminar.

You are right, Major Puri.

We are here to argue over a trivial truth

and here I am talking about these grand ideals.

You are right, sir.

Sir, I request the court

to call Subedar Balwan Singh again.

Subedar.

Don't imagine that I called you here to hassle you.

The Subedar is a link

from the soldiers to the CO.

The grudges and complaints of the soldiers

are conveyed via him to the CO

and the CO connects to them via the Subedar.

That's why the post of Subedar is significant and respected.

Am I right? - Yes.

Subedar, please tell me.

The CO increased Ramchander's rations.

He put him on special rations.

Was Ramchander Capt Kapoor's ADC at that time?

No.

On Regiment Day when Ramchander won the race

after that the CO increased his rations.

After that I assigned Ramchander as Capt Kapoor's ADC.

Col Rawat increased Ramchander's rations

so he could prepare for the Northern Command games.

And you assigned him to duties as Capt Kapoor's ADC! Why?

Capt Kapoor requested me to do the same.

Didn't you tell him he was in training for the races?

Capt Kapoor told me he'd practice with him morning and evening.

We all know

that Capt Kapoor was the champion of the 5,000 metre race.

It seemed okay by me... - Of course it did.

They both were runners.

Ramchander must have trained with gusto, then.

He must have been running like anything.

Did he come for training daily? - Yes.

How many times a month did he come?

Two or three times.

What did you say?

Subedar.

Speak louder.

Everybody must hear you.

He used to train two or three times a month, sir.

The CO increased his rations so he could train.

While he stopped coming for training!

That was wrong, Subedar.

Yes.

What did you do? Did you make enquiries?

I asked him.

He said when it's time for practice

Capt Kapoor put him to work at the house.

Oh!

Subedar, tell me.

What does the ADC do?

Why does an officer have an ADC?

The rules state that he cleans his officer's uniform.

He keeps the uniform spick and span.

He cleans the officer's weapons.

But you know... - I know it, Subedar.

The rules and laws are meant for the weak.

An ADC for an officer

is like a servant.

A personal servant.

Go to the market, fetch groceries.

Put this, serve the food.

Iron the lady wife's clothes.

Keep the officer pleased. Right?

This is not your fault.

You can only take action on a subordinate, right?

You can't complain about someone higher in the order.

But before the Northern command games took place

I took him off that duty.

Believe me, he won the race after just 10 days of practice.

Very good!

Did you take Ramchander away from that duty or were you told to?

Tell me.

Answer him.

Subedar. Answer him.

Did the CO issue the order to relieve Ramchander of his duty?

Answer him.

No, sir.

Then what?

Ramchander complained to me.

What did he say to you?

Tell us, Subedar.

Why are you so ashamed? What did Ramchander complain about?

Sir, you know Ramchander belongs to a lower caste.

Capt Kapoor used to

call him Harijan.

Ramchander asked to be relieved of that duty.

Or he would go and complain to the CO directly.

Subedar.

Ramchander made a false complaint to you

and you believed him!

Tell me something.

How can anyone object to the word Harijan?

The word was coined by the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

If Capt Kapoor called Ramchander Harijan

what is wrong with that?

Subedar, you must never listen to wrong complaints

against officers by the foot soldiers.

That's not the point, sir. - Then what is it?

Capt Kapoor used to call Ramchander a rat and cobbler.

His friend Capt Verma used to call him a darn rat.

What did Ramchander do then?

Ramchander refused to work for Capt Kapoor.

How dare a soldier

and have the courage

to refuse to work for his officer?

Subedar, you and Col Rawat told me

that Ramchander is a stickler for duty.

What did you do?

You have made a wrong move.

No, sir.

Sir, it went too far one day.

How come?

Capt Kapoor had some guests over.

A child pooped in the drawing room.

Capt Kapoor told Ramchander to clean out the poop.

Ramchander refused to do so.

Subedar.

What are you saying poop for?

Use the country or rural dialect word for it.

***.

Say that louder.

***. Subedar, I can't hear it. Speak louder.

***.

Ramchander refused to clean up Capt Kapoor's kid's ***!

That's why Capt Kapoor said you are a night soil worker

and a cobbler, a *** wiper!

How dare you refuse to clean up the ***?

Your ancestors have been carrying baskets of our *** on their heads.

Did Ramchander say that to you?

Yes.

He could be lying.

Ramchander doesn't lie, sir.

I have heard Capt Kapoor abusing in that manner, quite often.

What did you do about it?

Did you report to the CO?

Sir, I figured let me not spread such a vile story.

It would be better to resolve it in private.

Very good idea, Subedar. Well thought out move.

Never allow talk of justice to spread.

The powerful have been doing that for ages now.