Delhi rape suspect died by hanging: autopsy

Post-mortem on a man suspected of leading the gang-rape of a student on a New Delhi bus concludes he hanged, person close to the case says.

NEW DELHI // A post-mortem on a man suspected of leading the gang rape of a student on a New Delhi bus last December has concluded he died by hanging, a person close to the case said yesterday.

Ram Singh, one of six men on trial over the assault which appalled India and sparked mass protests, was found dead in his cell in high-security Tihar Jail on Monday morning where he had been held since his arrest after the crime.

"All the investigations conducted by us show it's death due to hanging," said the source, adding that three doctors at the state-run AIIMS hospital had conducted the autopsy.

The report is set to be submitted in court today, he said.

Singh's father Mange Lal said yesterday he had examined his son's body and had found "multiple injuries" including marks on his chest, face and an injured eye.

"My son was murdered by the three inmates in his cell," he shouted at the hospital before being ushered away by policemen, an allegation repeated by Singh's lawyer, VK Anand.

The source connected to the case said the post-mortem showed only the cause of death and did not reveal whether he had been murdered or not, which was a matter for the police to investigate.