Jigisha murder: Court wants expert to gauge convicts’ nature

New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) A court here has directed the Delhi government's Home Department Secretary to immediately appoint a probation officer who will submit a report on the behaviour of the three men held guilty on Thursday of kidnapping and killing IT executive Jigisha Ghosh in March 2009.

Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav convicted Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla and Baljit Singh Malik for killing and kidnapping of Jigisha.

The court while convicting the three, directed Delhi government's home department secretary to appoint immediately a probation officer and assign him the task of submitting a pre-sentence report specifically on two aspects -- is there a probability that, in future, the convicts would commit criminal acts of violence as it would constitute a continuing threat to society and is there a probability that the convicts can be reformed and rehabilitated.

The court asked the probation officer to enquire from the jail administration and seek a report regarding the conduct of the convicts in the entire period spent in jail during judicial custody.

The court said the probation officer shall mandatorily conduct a private interview with the convicts, meet the family of the convicts and the local people from where the convicts hail.

The court has also asked the probation officer to consult two professionals with not less than ten years experience from the fields of clinical psychology and sociology and gather specific inputs regarding convicts' behaviour.

It also directed the probation officer to meet the victim's parents and seek their inputs.

The court has asked the report to be submitted in a sealed cover within four weeks.

The court also directed investigating officer Atul Kumar to ascertain the financial condition of the convicts and their families and also focus on the impact of the crime committed in the case on the parents of the victim.

The court directed Delhi government to make appropriate arrangements and reimburse the expenses incurred for the probation officer to comply with the directions.

The court also said that the probation officer must not have any relationship with the convicts and the report must be factual, independent and free from bias.

It has fixed August 20 for hearing arguments on the quantum of sentence and consideration of the report of the probation officer.

Jigisha, 28, who was working with Hewitt Associate Pvt Ltd as operations manager, was kidnapped and killed on March 18, 2009 after her office cab dropped her near her home in south Delhi's Vasant Vihar around 4 a.m.