File photo of people protesting the death of the student
The main suspect in the fatal gang-rape of a medical student onboard a New Delhi bus, an attack that horrified the country and triggered protests and new laws to punish crimes against women, allegedly committed suicide in jail early this morning.
"He tied all his clothes together and used the ceiling grill and a wooden stool to hang himself," said Sunil Gupta, an official from Tihar Jail.
Jail officials said Ram Singh, 35, shared his cell with two other prisoners, and a security guard was meant to be posted outside because he had been reported suicidal.
There are no details yet on how the suicide went unnoticed by anyone.
"It is not a suicide, it is a murder. It is a murder with a criminal conspiracy by some ulterior motive and I demand that a CBI inquiry must be conducted in this case as soon as possible," said defence lawyer AP Singh.
Ram Singh's family wants a CBI inquiry to determine how he died. "He couldn't have committed suicide with just one hand," Ram Singh's father said. His parents, who are from Rajasthan, say they met with him recently and he complained that he was beaten up when he was first brought to prison, and mistreated by other inmates.
"He knew he was going to die anyway because we had and still have such a strong case against him," said the brother of the student who was sexually assaulted and battered with an iron rod on the bus.
Ram Singh was being tried at a fast-track court for murder and rape along with four other men, including his brother Mukesh. They have pleaded not guilty. If convicted, the men could face the death penalty. The sixth accused is being tried and jailed separately because he is a juvenile.
Ram Singh's family says police officials did not allow them to visit him in jail, so they spoke to him at court. They are worried about Mukesh's safety now.
"He made a mistake - he admitted that to us - but even God forgives one mistake," said Ram Singh's mother.
When the men were arrested, their lawyers argued that the trial should be moved away from Delhi because overwhelming public sentiment would deprive their clients of a fair trial. The defence lawyers had also warned that the suspects were vulnerable to attacks from other prisoners in jail.