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New Delhi:
Lawyers and experts are of the view that trial would proceed in
the Dec 16 gang-rape case, largely unaffected by the suicide
Monday morning of Ram Singh, prime accused in the case.
Experts, however, point out that the suicide shows that the
security of prisoners is a matter of concern.
"There is a lapse, obviously. How could he hang himself in prison
when there was a guard outside his cell? Definitely that man would
be responsible for dereliction of duty, and there will be an
inquiry with regard to this incident of 5 a.m. which is definitely
shocking," senior lawyer Majid Memon said.
"As far as the trials are concerned, his name will have to be
struck down from the trial since he is dead, but even then, the
trial would proceed," Memon told a TV news channel.
Another senior lawyer, Mukul Rohtagi, said it showed the "pathetic
state of affairs" in the jail.
"It could not have been done without outside support. There is a
deep rooted conspiracy, people cannot hang themselves with their
pyjamas," Rohtagi said.
"One of the accused is dead, the trial will go on. But more
important than the trial today is to find out who is responsible
for such a lapse," he said.
Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi said it was a lapse on the part of
jail authorities.
"Prisoners of this kind are very vulnerable. Was his behaviour
being reported? Was it anticipated? And if it was, what did we do
with that? Those are the areas we need to judge," Kiran Bedi said.
Activist Kavita Krishnan said the suicide was condemnable.
"The fact that the main accused is not there is something which is
going to affect the case. It is condemnable, and needs to be
inquired into," she said.
The main accused in the Dec 16 gang-rape of a 23-year-old
committed suicide in Delhi's Tihar Jail Monday morning, police
said.
The 33-year-old Ram Singh, prime accused in the case, committed
suicide around 5.00 a.m. in ward no. 5 of Jail No.3 in Tihar jail.
Singh had been charged in 13 cases in connection with the Dec 16
incident, and had been facing day-to-day trial in a fast-track
court.
He was supposed to be taken to court Monday too.
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