gavin's blog

Really bizarre story, this: 'Reincarnated' murder victim gives evidence from the TOI:

 
'Could a dead man, or rather his reincarnation, give evidence in his own murder case?

A six-year-old case of murder in Hathras town in western Uttar Pradesh has given rise to this million-dollar question following the deposition of a five-year-old boy, Durgesh.

Creating a sensation in the trial court Friday, he alleged that during his previous birth he was killed by his own friend Ved Prakash six years ago.

..............

While deferring the judgement, the court has asked the prosecution to produce the legal provisions relating to reincarnation if any.'

This last line disturbs me. I know that it is very possible that the boy has been 'tutored' to give false testimony, this taking place in the cow belt, where superstition runs high and the rule of law more manipulated than followed. But what if this is a genuine case phenomenologically at least, in that the boy's memories are genuine? If they are, then the lack of legal provisions regarding reincarnation would be doing his testimony an injustice, no? And here would be an epic tale of truth and justice from beyond the grave dismissed by man's sticking to narrow precedence.