New Delhi: Tihar Jail officials Tuesday told a fast-track court here hearing the Dec 16, 2012 gang-rape case that prime accused Ram Singh "hanged himself to death" in his prison cell Tuesday, a co-accused`s counsel said.
Counsel for one of the co-accused told reporters outside the courtroom, where the in-camera trial is being conducted, that the superintendent of Jail no. 3, where Ram Singh was lodged, told the judge in a two-page report that Ram Singh was found hanging by a thin string made out of his clothes.
The advocate said: "The report states that the body of Ram Singh was seen hanging around 5.25 a.m. The doctor of the jail was informed at 5.40 a.m. and the accused was declared dead at 5.45 a.m. yesterday (Monday) morning."
Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna Monday asked Tihar Jail officials to submit an inquiry report on the alleged suicide of Ram Singh in his cell.
Ram Singh was the driver of the bus in which the 23-year-old woman was gang-raped by six males, including him.
The court recorded the statement of the two forensic experts, who had provided their scientific support and services during the investigation of the gang-rape case.
BK Mophapatra, senior scientific officer, and Rajender Singh, a principal scientific officer-cum-assistant chemical examiner, both from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) were cross-examined by defence counsel.
The fast-track court is recording the statements of the prosecution witnesses on a daily basis and so far 45 witnesses have been examined.
The other four accused, Ram Singh`s brother Mukesh, fruit seller Pawan Gupta, gym instructor Vinay Sharma, and bus cleaner Akshay Thakur were presented before the court.
The sixth accused is a juvenile, lodged separately, and being tried by the Juvenile Justice Board.
IANS
