Delhi rapist gives himself death and raises doubts

The prime accused in the Delhi gang rape case, Ram Singh, was found hanging under mysterious circumstances on Monday morning inside the Tihar jail.

Ram Singh, 33, was the driver of the bus in which a 23-year-old paramedical student was gang-raped on December 16, 2012.

An official statement of jail authorities claims that Singh was “found hanging at 5.45 am”.
“The matter is being enquired into by the judicial officer as per section 176 of the CrPC. The exact cause of death could be known after receipt of the inquiry officer report, which also includes post-mortem examination, report by forensic experts,” it said.

A source said Singh was lodged in a high security ward in jail number-3 and was given a guard by jail authorities to keep a constant watch on him. He was found hanging during a change of guard around 5.45am, but Tihar jail officials told the local police about it only at 7.30am, which has raised doubts over the prison authorities’ version of events. Officials could not give a reason for the delay.

“He tied all his clothes together and used the ceiling grille and a wooden stool to hang himself,” an official said. Singh used a steel plate to cut the mattress and his clothes to tied them together to make a rope to hang himself.

Contesting the prison authorities’ claim is the allegation that Singh hanged himself after being sodomised by fellow inmates. The police are yet to comment on this.

Sources say the police had warned jail authorities over a possible attack on all of the gang rape accused. Inmates had even tried to thrash them once. In the wake of Singh’s death, their security has been strengthened.

Singh’s family and lawyers have demanded a CBI probe into the death, claiming that he had showed no signs of distress in recent days. “Ram Singh was not under mental stress. I do not think there was any reason for him to commit suicide. I am shocked to hear this news,” said his advocate, VK Anand.

Home minister ordered an inquiry into the incident under a metropolitan magistrate. “It is precisely because his (Singh’s) family has claimed that it cannot be a case of suicide, an inquiry has been ordered,” said Shinde.

Asked if he is contemplating any action against director general (prisons) of the Delhi police for a major lapse in security, Shinde said, “It is a grave incident and not a small one by any means. Let the report come, then we will see what can be done.”

A post-mortem was to be conducted at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in west Delhi, but the venue was changed by late afternoon to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. “The metropolitan magistrate gave us a written request that the venue be changed,” said additional commissioner of police (west) V Renganathan.

A Delhi court hearing the December 16 gang rape case on Monday asked Tihar jail officials to submit an inquiry report on the alleged suicide of Ram Singh in his cell. The other four accused also alleged harassment in prison.

Additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna sought the report of the inquiry into the death of the accused by Tuesday, advocate VK Anand appearing for Singh told reporters outside the courtroom.

The court asked jail officials to review the security of the other four accused and submit a report daily.

@DNA