Lack of security and vigilance

Whether the Delhi gang rape prime accused Ram Singh committed suicide or murdered is a matter of investigation. But one thing is clear from his hanging that there is a serious lapse in security and vigilance inside the country's high security Tihar Jail. It was the warder of Tihal jail who saw the main accused of Delhi gang rape hanging at 5.30 AM in the morning while he was making rounds of the cells. He immediately alerted Tihar jail staff. The 55-year-old Tihar jail is one the largest in Asia and the country’s foremost high-security prison. It has more than 12,000 inmates although it has an official capacity of about 6,000. It is equipped with CCTV cameras, mobile phone jamming devices, scanners and metal detectors. In the last few years, it has also had well-publicized rehabilitation programmes for prisoners. The hardened criminals are kept in this jail. Though according to legal eagles, the death of the prime accused in the case will have no impact on the proceedings of the trial, the circumstances under which he committed suicide have created several doubts. From the news paper reports, it was clear that he was remorseless about the gruesome gang rape and killing of 23 year old paramedic student on the moving bus. The prime accused Ram Singh was the ring leader of the gang. He was neither depressed nor remorseless and according to his counsel, he was happy with the proceedings of the trial of the case. How could it be possible that one of the four cellmates hung to eight feet high grill meant for ventilation and the other 3 mates, who were sleeping in the same cell, did not have any idea? Ram Singh’s other three inmates remain asleep during which he hanged himself to death. His right hand was reportedly deformed so he would have tightened the noose around his neck single-handedly. All this makes the theory of his hanging suspicious, though postmortem report says that he died due to hanging. Ram Singh was a short-sized man barely of 5 fit and 5 inches. He had taken the help of the bucket to hang himself to eight fit high grill to death. The arrangement for hanging himself to death made by the prisoner can not be possible in half an hour. How could he tore the carpet and made the thick and strong cord to hang himself and haw could it be possible that no fellow prisoners saw him doing all these things? So, the picture is completely unclear and the suspicion of murder can also not be out of place. It is not the first time that the prisoner in high security Tihar jail killed himself in mysterious circumstances. It is also clear that the prime accused Ram Singh would have apprehensions that he would be given death sentence by the court of law. No prisoner is guilty until proven by the court of law of the land. It was the responsibility of Tihar security authorities to ensure that every prisoner is safe and secure within its premises. The death of the Delhi Gang rape prime accused in Tihar jail under mysterious circumstances has exposed the lapses on the part of jail administration and security.