Minimum Legal Aid To The Backward Community Portrayed In ‘Jai Bhim’

Kopparapu Sai Sri Prakhya, BA LLB, Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad

ABSTRACT

'Jai Bhim' is a Tamil movie based on a true incident. Jai Bhim, the critical acclaim, is released on an OTT platform- Prime video, on the Second of November 2021 as a 'Presence across the Nation' (India) movie. The movie is directed and written by 'TJ Gnanavel' and is starred by the Tamil actor Surya. The phenomenal plot of The 1993 Cuddalore incident portrayed in Jai Bhim defines the brutality of the Justice system, specifically the police brutality of false acquisition and lock up death. The central theme of the incident depicts the lack of Minimum Legal Aid to the backward community. The film is set in the Tamil Nadu village of Kammapuram in the Virudhachalam town of Cuddalore district. The series of events begins with Rajakannu and Sengani, a couple and their relatives who belonged to the Irular tribal community, working as daily wage workers. They also practiced curing with natural medicine and a flock known for their rat/snake catching skills. In later instances, a burglary occurs in the President's village house. Rajakannu is named the potential suspect in the burglary; next is a series of unlawful actions by the local Police, including the detaining and beating of the pregnant Sengani, arresting Rajakannu and his family members, ruthlessly pounding them to get a confession, but not to avail. A few days later, the Police claim the accused fled from the prison. Sengani is distraught and does not believe her husband ran, especially after he stoically bore brutal blows for days. Through the help of the Marxist political party, Sengani approaches Advocate Chandru. In parallel, High Court Advocate Chandru, the protagonist, is portrayed as a dashing and sincere lawyer and an activist. He is known for doing pro bono work acquiring legal aid access and fair Justice to the underprivileged. The legal action takes a seed with Advocate Chandru Filing a 'Habeas Corpus' petition in the high court against the Police Department. The duo of Sengani and Advocate Chandru fighting for Justice is explicable, showcasing the struggle of backward classes in the justice system and the lack accessing legal equality. The prominence of the backward class status quo in the justice league is the theme for the researcher's study; it is titled "Minimum Legal Aid to the backward community portrayed in Jai Bhim."