Listening as Justice: Institutional Accountability and Community Healing in the Alleged Custodial Death of Vijay Soni
I n democracies, justice is often imagined as something that begins in courtrooms and ends with a verdict. Yet the deeper truth is this: justice begins the moment institutions choose to listen. The ongoing proceedings in the alleged custodial death of 21-year-old Vijay Soni in Uttar Pradesh remind us why institutional vigilance and civil society engagement remain indispensable to the protection of human dignity. At a time when public trust in accountability mechanisms is frequently tested, the sustained involvement of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the trauma-informed work of the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) together offer a powerful example of how democratic safeguards are meant to function. This is not merely the story of one family’s grief. It is a reflection of the constitutional promise that every life matters — and that the state must remain answerable when questions arise about the exercise of power. The Importance of Institutional Persis...
