Gang-rape defence lawyer in trouble over remarks

The defence lawyer of two convicts in the Dec 16, 2012 gang- rape has been flayed for terming the verdict politically and emotionally driven and that he would have burnt his daughter alive had she been involved in pre-marital sex and were she to step out with boyfriends at night.

The Bar Council of Delhi has taken a serious view of lawyer A.P. Singh's statement to the media saying the judgment was coloured with other considerations and he would have burnt his daughter if she had been involved in ex-marital sex and roamed at night with her friends.

Singh, lawyer for Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur, had even questioned whether such a stringent sentence would actually act as a deterrent and stop incidents of rape in the city.

Singh Friday told mediapersons that in response to a poser by the court he had said that "...if my daughter was having pre-marital sex and moving around at night with her boyfriend, I would have burnt her alive. I would not have let this situation happen..." The poser from the court was apparently in the context of Delhi gang rape victim.

Council secretary Murari Tiwari told IANS that the council was a statutory body mandated to ensure its members did not behave in a manner unbecoming of lawyers. Lawyers can't conduct themselves in an undignified manner and use language that lowers the esteem of the legal profession.

"We have a code of conduct and professional ethics to follow," Tiwari said adding it was unbecoming of Singh to cast aspersion on the verdict before the media. "We condemn his statement and would seek his explanation," he said.

"Everything that Singh had said would be taken up when he personally appears before the council," said Tiwari.

Meanwhile, the council has asked organisations representing social groups, who are up in arms over Singh's statement, to send their complaints in writing.

A social activist said when Singh does not respect the freedom of his own daughter, what respect he will have for other human's rights.