Suspect in New Delhi Rape and Murder Case Dies in Jail

One of the six suspects in the brutal gang rape and murder of a 23 year-old New Delhi student was found dead early this morning. The suspect, Ram Singh, who was accused of driving the bus in which the attacks occurred, was discovered dead in his cell at Tihar Jail around 5:30AM.

The jail claims that Singh committed suicide. Sunil Gupta, the spokesman for Tihar Jail, said , "He hanged himself [from] the ceiling with his own clothes." Singh's family, however, insist that the suspect showed no signs of suicidal behavior and are alleging that there must have been foul play.

On December 16th, the physiotherapy student was tortured and raped by a group of six men who were armed with a metal bar on a private bus in New Delhi. The woman was raped for nearly an hour before a metal rod was pushed inside her, critically damaging her internal organs. The victim was flown to Singapore for medical treatment where she died of her injuries in late December.

The incident has sparked protests across India, where a woman is estimated to be raped every twenty minutes, with Delhi being labeled the "rape capital" of the country, according to the Associated Press. Huge protests and demonstrations have voiced anger regarding the treatment of women in India and calling for tougher laws on violence against women.

Media Resources: Huffington Post 3/11/13; Wall Street Journal 3/11/13; The Feminist Newswire 1/2/2013

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