The Delhi Bar Council has sought a response from A.P. Singh, counsel for the convicts in the December 16 gang-rape case, for his remark that he would have burnt his daughter alive had she been having premarital sex and moving around at night with her boyfriend.
At a meeting held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Surya Prakash Khatri, a majority of the members of the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) were critical of Mr. Singh. He made the remark soon after the convicts were awarded the death penalty on September 13.
“Although the issue was not on the agenda of today’s meeting, Mr. Singh’s repeated defence of his statement forced the members to take a serious view and issue a show-cause notice asking him why his licence should not be suspended for making such unwarranted remarks,” BCD secretary Murari Tiwari said.
Mr. Singh must reply by October 11 to the Council’s notice under the Advocates Act. “Mr. Singh’s statement was not only against moral and professional ethics, but it also damaged the reputation of the legal profession,” Mr. Tiwari said.
