Courtroom Observations: Reality vs. Theory

I interned at a Delhi courtroom and witnessed a case under Section 84 of the IPC. Our textbooks only touched upon the law, but I saw the practicalities firsthand. The judge was dealing with a mentally unfit defendant who'd committed a heinous crime. The prosecution argued that the accused wasn't insane and therefore shouldn't be exempt from punishment. The defense team claimed the accused was indeed insane and should be treated, not punished.

The judge asked the defendant a series of questions: 'Can you tell me your name?' 'Do you know that you committed a crime?' 'Do you feel remorse?' These simple questions showed the gap between the law and reality. The accused couldn't answer any of them coherently, yet the court would still have to decide whether Section 84 applied. It's a tricky situation, and that's the thing about jurisprudence – no clear-cut answers.