An Indian in US was convicted for webcam spying episode that ended in his gay roommate's suicide. This could land the young man to a minimum decade in prison.

A former Rutgers University student, Dharun Ravi, (New Brunswick, New Jersey) was on Friday convicted for having spied with his webcam on his gay roommate, who later committed suicide. The conviction could destine Mr Ravi to nearly ten years of imprisonment or more or could be evaded by the judge, based on the evidences gathered. He was found of guilty of all 15 charges leveled against him. The most important were the invasion of privacy and anti-gay intimidation charges. The jury decided that he not only spied on Tyler Clementi and another man as they were kissing but also singled out Mr Clementi because he was gay. The final verdict is posted to May 21.

Mr Ravi, who has been living in the US since his childhood, could also be deported. Months ago, he and his lawyers rejected a plea bargain that would have spared him from prison, and prosecutors would have even helped him avoid deportation. Mr Ravi was aghast as the verdict was announced, but his counsel assured that a proper appeal would be appealed at the appropriate time.

Prosecutors said Mr Ravi set up his webcam in his dorm room and watched Mr Clementi kissing another man on September 19, 2010, then tweeted about it and excitedly tried to catch Mr Clementi in the act again two days later. Half-dozen students were believed to have seen the live video of the kissing; no video was taken in the second instance. The case stirred a national conversation about anti-gay bullying and teen suicide. It also illustrated the dangers of technology in the hands of people who have grown up with the likes of Twitter and Facebook.
(With inputs from internet- AarKay)