LONDON (The Thursday Times) — Russell Brand ko sarhe das saal qaid ki saza sunane wale judge ne peer ko kaha ke woh aik “jinsi shikari” the jinhen taqreeban do dahaiyon tak un ki shohrat ne bachaye rakha, aur unhon ne 2004 se 2009 ke darmiyan chaar khawateen ke khilaf Brand ke jaraim ki tafseel bayan ki.
Justice Bennathan ne Southwark Crown Court mein saza ke remarks us waqt diye jab chand roz qabl jury ne 51 saala Brand ko rape ke aik aur jinsi hamle ke teen ilzamat mein mujrim qarar diya tha. Unhen rape ke mazeed do aur nazeba hamle ki koshish ke aik ilzam se bari kar diya gaya. Brand tamam ilzamat se inkar karte rahe.
Judge ne kaha: “Taqreeban 20 saal pehle, Russell Brand, aap mashhoor ho rahe the. Aap zaheen the aur bohat se logon ki nazar mein mazahiya aur pur-kashish bhi. Aap aik jinsi shikari bhi ban chuke the.” Un ka kehna tha ke Brand ke martabe ne unhen 2023 tak mehfooz rakha, jab sahafiyon ne woh ilzamat shaya kiye jinhon ne “kai khawateen ko samne aane ka hausla diya”.
Judge ne awam ko yaad dilaya ke khawateen ka naam lena ya aisi tafseelat zahir karna jin se un ki shanakht ho sake qanoonan mamnu hai, aur unhon ne har khatoon ka zikr sirf mutaliqa ilzam ki mutasira ke taur par kiya. Unhon ne kaha ke unhon ne 2023 ki documentary ke ilzamat aur un ilzamat ko nazar andaz kiya jin par jury ne Brand ko bari kiya.
Saza sarhe das saal kaise bani
Sab se taveel saza, nau saal, 2009 ke mausam-e-bahar mein 21 saala mudah ke rape par di gayi, jab Brand ki umar 33 saal thi. Judge ne kaha ke Brand ne khatoon ki razamandi ke baghair condom utaar diya aur un ke rukne ke kehne ke bawajood baaz na aaye, aur khatoon shadeed takleef mein rahin aur maheenon tak HIV mein mubtila hone ke khauf ka shikar rahin. Un ke baqaul in do pehluon ne saza ko guideline ke nuqta-e-aaghaz se do saal barha diya. Brand ne khatoon ka number apne phone mein “T” yani “tart” ke naam se mehfooz kiya tha, jise judge ne apne arzi jinsi sathiyon ke liye un ki “haqarat” ka saboot qarar diya.
Judge ke mutabiq mutasira ke bayan mein khatoon ne khane aur sone mein mushkilat, kai maah kaam se chhutti aur apna shuru kiya hua career chhor dene ka zikr kiya. Satrah baras baad bhi is ka asar logon par bharosa karne ki un ki salahiyat par hai.
Jinsi hamle ke teen jaraim mein Brand ko July 2004 mein aik party mein aik khatoon par hamle par nau maah; apne sathiyon ke samne aik radio newsreader par un ki jaye-kaar par hamle par 18 maah, jise majmui saza mutanasib rakhne ke liye do saal se kam kiya gaya; aur 2009 ke awakhir mein un ki DVD ke ishtihar par kaam karne wali aik khatoon par hamle par aath maah qaid ki saza mili. Yeh teenon sazaen aik sath chalengi lekin rape ki saza ke baad.
Judge ne kaha ke 2004 ke hamle ne “kisi bhi aurat ke aap ko ‘nahin’ kehne ke haq ke liye aap ki laparwah aur mutakabbirana be-etinai” ko zahir kiya, aur is se pahunchne wali aziyat ki wajah se unhon ne guideline ki hadd se zyada saza di. Un ka kehna tha ke 2009 ka jurm “aik baar phir aap ke hairan kun takabbur” ko zahir karta hai. “Poore waqiye se laparwah be-izzati aur aap ke is yaqeen ki boo aati hai ke shohrat ka matlab hai aap jo chahen, jab chahen kar sakte hain.”
Shohrat, riayat aur rihai
Judge ne istighasa ki janib se pesh karda baaz sangeen awamil ko mustarad kar diya. Un ka kehna tha ke saza ki guidelines ke tehat mashhoor shakhsiyat hona “aitmad ka ghalat istemal” shumar nahin hota, aur agarche unhon ne khawateen ko pahunchne wale nuqsan ka andaza lagate hue Brand ki shohrat ko madd-e-nazar rakha, “mujhe yeh bhi ehtiyat karni hai ke main aap ko mashhoor hone ki wajah se zyada saza na doon.”
Unhon ne do khawateen ko mehz is bina par “khaas taur par kamzor” manne se bhi inkar kiya ke aik ne sharab pi rakhi thi aur doosri Brand ki mudah theen, aur kaha ke dono ne bilkul maqool faisle kiye the. Unhon ne kaha: “Aurtein jo bhi pehnen, jahan bhi jayen, balke jo bhi piyen, unhen ‘nahin’ kehne ka haq hasil rehta hai.”
Riayat ke taur par judge ne Brand ka koi numayan sabiqa mujrimana record na hona, akhri jurm ke baad guzre 17 saal aur us ke baad un ke kaam, khusoosan nashe ke aadi afrad ki madad aur aksar un ke ilaj ke akhrajat uthane, ko madd-e-nazar rakha. Agarche rape ke muqadmat mein guidelines achhe kirdar ko kam ahmiyat deti hain, unhon ne rape ki saza mein aik saal ki kami ki. Unhon ne kaha ke Brand ki qaid un ke bachon ko baap se mehroom kar degi, lekin yeh “afsosnak nuqsan” “aap ke sangeen jaraim ki wajah se” hai.
Judge ne saza se pehle ki report talab nahin ki aur kaha ke yeh nateeja akhaz karne ki “koi thos shahadati bunyad” nahin ke Brand mustaqbil mein khatra hain. Brand saza ka do tihai hissa jail mein guzarenge, jis ke baad unhen licence par riha kiya jayega, aur sharait ki khilaf warzi par dobara jail bheja ja sakta hai. Rihai ke baad woh ghair muayyan muddat tak Sexual Offences Act 2003 ke tehat ittila dahi ki pabandiyon ke tabe rahenge, jise jinsi mujrimon ka register kaha jata hai.
Judge ne gawahi dene wali khawateen ke “azm aur bahaduri” ko khiraj-e-tehseen pesh kiya, jin ke baqaul adalat mein Brand ki hidayat par un par jhoot bolne ya sach ko tor maror kar pesh karne ke ilzamat lagaye gaye, aur tafteesh par Metropolitan Police ki tareef ki.
Saza ke din Brand ki sabiq sathi aur Imran Khan ki sabiq ahliya Jemima Goldsmith ne aik bayan jari kiya jis mein unhon ne Brand par tashaddud aur jabri control ka ilzam lagaya, jo 2014 mein un ke taalluq ke dauran ka hai. Yeh ilzamat muqadme ka hissa nahin the.
