New Delhi, Mar 11 (IANS): Ram Singh, the prime accused in the Dec 16 gang-rape case who reportedly hanged himself in the Tihar Jail, was removed from 'suicide watch' a few weeks ago, officials said Monday.

The 35-year-old along with four other accused were put on 'suicide watch' after they stopped talking with other inmates and with each other, a Tihar official told IANS.

"The alert was lifted when we found he and others were behaving normally and were not showing any sign of depression. They were eating normally and looked ok. We then lifted the suicide watch," the official said.

Officials refused to say when the alert was lifted but said it happened "a few weeks ago".

Ram Singh was found hanging from the grill in his cell at around 5.45 a.m. Monday. He was warded in ward no. 5 of Jail no. 3.

He shared the cell with three other inmates, also facing trial. The prison officials refused to reveal their identity.

Officials said Ram Singh had been speaking to his prison mates till 2.30 a.m. None of them heard or saw him hanging himself.

Ram Singh was the driver of the bus in which the 23-year-old woman was raped by six males, including his younger brother.

The six, including a minor, also thrashed the woman's friend and later threw them out of the bus bleeding and without clothes. The student died of internal injuries in Singapore two weeks later.