Delhi gangrape-murder: Prime accused commits suicide

The main accused in the Delhi gangrape case, Ram Singh, committed suicide late on Sunday night inside the Tihar Jail by hanging himself. Ram Singh, one of the six accused in the Delhi gangrape case, was the driver of the bus in which a 23-year-old paramedical student was raped.

Reports indicate that Ram Singh committed suicide in Tihar Jail by hanging himself using the clothes that he was wearing. He committed suicide in Jail No. 3 in Tihar Jail. The DG Prisons has confirmed to CNN-IBN that Ram Singh committed suicide. Reacting to the incident, National Commission for Women Chairperson Mamta Sharma said, "I think he was ashamed of the society. But how did he commit suicide in the jail? There is so much of frisking in the jail." The suicide raises questions on the Tihar jail authorities as Ram Singh was under 'suicide watch'. The Tihar Jail authorities have ordered an inquiry into the incident and a post-mortem will be conducted on Ram Singh's body soon. Earlier in January, there were reports that all five accused in the case were under suicide watch as the jail sources had indicated that the five had stopped interacting with others in the jail. The 'suicide watch', officials had said, was an alert that the five could possibly harm themselves. A senior officer had been told to monitor their activities. The Tihar Central Jail complex has several jails, each identified by a number. While Pawan, 19, and Akshay, 29, are held in Jail No 4, Vinay, 20, and Mukesh, 26, are in Jail No 7. A senior officer had been deputed to oversee the five. Other jail wardens were also on alert.

The 23-year-old was gangraped on December 16, 2012 and succumbed to her injuries on December 29, 2012. The case was followed by outrage and protests throughout the country, following which a fast-track trial was ordered into the case. The suicide of the main accused comes amidst the trial in the fast-track court. Ram Singh, along with the other four accused, was charged with murder, gangrape, destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy, dacoity, unnatural sex and common intent in the case. The sixth accused is a Juvenile and is in an observation home.