Criminalisation of 'nothing': India cannot afford more criminal provisions

Being tough on crime requires making intelligent distinctions between conduct that truly threatens the public and conduct that is better handled by fines or civil law

Jerry Seinfeld famously described the show created by him (and named after him), as a show about 'nothing'. In the final episode, the principal characters – having gloried in selfishness for many years – watch an unfortunate man being mugged. They make light of it and do nothing to help. A police officer present on the spot does nothing to stop the incident either. Instead, he arrests the four friends under the 'Good Samaritan Law'. The law makes it a criminal offence to not help those in need. Jerry and his friends are ultimately sentenced to a year in prison.