Even as the name of Ram Singh would be removed from the Vasant Vihar gang-rape case following his death, he will never be treated as ‘innocent’ and it will go a long way in deciding the fate of the remaining accused in the case. legal experts said, the nature of the crime made it a ‘team crime’ and his role of a ‘leader’ as described by the Delhi Police in the charge sheet would have an impact on the trial of the co-accused.
“Sentence cannot be given to a dead person. Obviously, the case against Ram Singh will be closed but his role will have an impact on the case of other accused,” said HS Phoolka, senior Supreme Court advocate. He said the intensity of crime was too serious and the court proceedings consider all minute details and can sometimes have impact of the crime as a whole on ‘team crime’.
“His role in working as a criminal ally alongside the other five accused will be taken into consideration during the court proceedings. In such cases, the crime is an act done as a team. like a chain where one lace goes missing but the shape has to be considered to check how it was formed. There won’t be conviction or sentence against him but his role will be that of an accused,” Phoolka added.
Another prominent lawyer KTS Tulsi, however, sought to put the blame for Ram Singh’s suicide on external influences including the media pressure. He said that it was the outside pressure and compulsion from media trial that could make any person accused of any anti-social act take extreme steps such as suicide.
“An individual’s precious asset is reputation. Before anyone is proved guilty we perceive him as the demon. Such an individual thinks what’s the point to live when the entire society and world has turned against him. He had not confessed to the crime yet but there is a tendency of prejudging things at a high level in our society in the present day,” Tulsi said.