File Photo: Protests after December 16 gang rape
The main suspect in the fatal gang rape of a medical student on a Delhi bus, an attack that triggered angry protests and new laws to punish crimes against women, allegedly committed suicide in jail early this morning.
(Read)"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.
Ram Singh's family and lawyers disagree, and want a CBI inquiry to determine how he died.
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.
Delhi Police sources say they discovered Ram Singh's death through television reports. Tihar Jail officials did not inform them of the suicide for nearly three hours. Jail sources say he was rushed to hospital to see if he could be revived by doctors.
(Read: Discovered Ram Singh's suicide through TV channels, says Delhi Police)His parents, who are from Rajasthan, say they met with him recently and he complained that he was being tortured in prison. "He made a mistake -- he admitted that to us -- but even God forgives one mistake," said his mother to news agency AFP. "He was not even given a chance to repent."
Ram Singh's lawyer VK Anand said his client's death should be treated as murder.
He 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. The sixth suspect is being tried separately because he is a juvenile.
Ram Singh's family says they are worried about Mukesh's safety now.
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.
"I wanted him to be hanged ... publicly. Him dying on his own terms seems unfair," said the brother of the student who died.
(Read)