New Delhi, March 11: 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.
