Suspect in India Rape Case Found Dead.

By VIBHUTI AGARWAL And PREETIKA RANA

NEW DELHI—
One of the five men accused in the gang rape of a 23-year-old Indian woman—a crime that received widespread international attention—was found dead in a jail here, his lawyer said Monday.

Ram Singh was found dead at Tihar Jail, Delhi's main prison, at around 5:15 a.m., said his lawyer, V.K. Anand.

Police stand guard as an ambulance leaves Tihar Jail on Monday where one of the five men accused in the gang rape of a 23-year-old Indian woman hanged himself.

A large number of protesters gathered outside Rashtrapati Bhawan, the President's Palace, in New Delhi on Dec. 22.

Mr. Singh, 33 years old, and four other men were being held at the jail during their trial at a special court in Delhi on charges that include kidnapping, rape and murder. The five men have pleaded not guilty.

"He hanged himself from the ceiling with his own clothes," said Sunil Gupta, spokesman for Tihar Jail.

Mr. Gupta said Mr. Singh had three cellmates. He said the cellmates "were clueless about his intention to commit suicide. They were sleeping when the incident happened."

He contradicted another Tihar official who, on condition of anonymity, had told The Wall Street Journal that Mr. Singh had used a rope given to prisoners to dry clothes to kill himself. Mr. Gupta said that, based on the information he received, Mr. Singh hanged himself using his clothes, "not a rope."

Rajinder Singh, Delhi's assistant commissioner of police, who is part of a special task force investigating the Delhi rape case, said Mr. Singh used his "own clothes" to hang himself.

"He used the sleeping mat to make a noose, string from his trousers as a rope to hang himself."

Mr. Singh's lawyer, contested the police version.

"It is not possible he committed suicide. And the theory that he used his own clothes can't be true as there is high security inside the prison," Mr. Anand said.

Mr. Gupta denied allegations of negligence by the jail authorities. "I am aware media channels are accusing jail authorities for negligence but I deny this allegation. There are guards outside every ward here in Tihar. Ram Singh's ward, too, had sufficient guards. It is not possible to have guards outside every single jail," he said.

Mr. Gupta said the four other accused men at Tihar, who are in neighboring cells, are being closely watched by jail authorities following the suicide. Jail officials have launched an inquiry into his death.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a report from Tihar Jail authorities on the suicide, a senior ministry official told The Wall Street Journal.

The five men, along with a juvenile who faces juvenile-court proceedings, are accused of luring the young woman and a male friend onto a bus, then beating the friend and beating and sexually assaulting the woman with a metal rod before throwing both of them naked onto the side of a highway on the evening of Dec. 16.

The young woman, a physiotherapy student, later died of her injuries. Mr. Singh was the regular driver of the bus, one of thousands of private buses that ply the capital's streets.

The case drew widespread attention in India and world-wide for its brutality and for the spotlight it shone on India's failure to protect women. The bus traveled around south Delhi, near an enclave popular with diplomats, for about 45 minutes as the assault took place. Protesters marched in New Delhi and other Indian cities and the government has since moved to strengthen laws to deter crimes against women.

Assistant commissioner of police Rajinder Singh said Mr. Singh's body had been moved to a nearby hospital for a post mortem. "Only after the inquiry is done by special district magistrate, we can say what exactly happened," he said.

Reached by telephone, the father of the rape victim said: "We are feeling a bit relieved with this development. But we really don't know what more to say right now."

Mr. Anand said that during the last court hearing on Friday, Mr. Singh "looked cheerful since he met his 5-year-old son in the court." He said he didn't know what had driven Mr. Singh to this extreme step. "He was happy with the way the trial was proceeding."

A.P. Singh, a lawyer for Akshay Kumar and Vinay Sharma, two others facing trial, said he was skeptical about authorities' explanation that Mr. Singh hanged himself. "How is it possible for a prisoner to hang himself inside a jail cell? Is Tihar's security so weak?"

He added: "My clients are terrified, scared, they fear for their safety."

Mr. Singh's father said in an interview that the family, too, doubted the official version of events. "I had met him six days back," said Mange Lal. "He said the authorities are not treating him well." He also noted that Mr. Singh couldn't use one of his hands efficiently since an accident several years ago.

Tihar's spokesman has said the prisoners in the rape case have been treated properly and confirmed that authorities believe it was a suicide.

Following Mr. Singh's death, the trial being held at a special fast-track court at the Saket district court complex in south Delhi, was adjourned Monday.

The next date of hearing has been set for Tuesday.