World’s oldest mother, 74, says giving birth to her daughter, now five, has kept her living longer because she’s determined to live to see her marry

Naveen, five, hugs her 75-year-old mother, Rajo Devi Lohan, at their home in the remote village of Hissar, India. Rajo says that having her daughter has helped her live longer

When Rajo Devi Lohan made headlines around the world by becoming the world's oldest first-time mother, critics said she was putting her health at risk and condemning her daughter to the agony of losing her parents at a young age.

She gave birth, following controversial IVF treatment, at the age of 69, then nearly died from complications with the delivery.

But now, five years later, the 74-year-old says having her daughter, Naveen, has made her stronger and helped her live longer.

Following her bout of ill health, the frail mother believes her desire of seeing her little one marry is giving her the strength to fight on and live to see the special day.

Rajo, who lives in the remote village of Hissar, India, with Naveen, her husband Ballo and his second, younger wife Umi, said: 'The only reason I am still alive in spite of my illness is Naveen. She is a gift to me from God and until I get her married I cannot afford to die.

'I will get her married when she turns 15-years-old, but until then I simply cannot die.'

India:Five-year-old girl 'raped for four days' after she was kidnapped by neighbour in third Delhi paedophile crime this month

A five year old girl is fighting for her life after she was raped by a neighbour in Gandhi Nagar, east Delhi, who held her captive for four days.

The girl was kidnapped while playing outside her home and locked in her neighbour’s flat for days before someone heard her cries for help.

Doctors reported finding ‘foreign objects’ inside the girl’s genitals as the details of her horrific ordeal began to unfold.

The neighbour is believed to have repeatedly raped the child, mutilated her genitals and tried to strangle her.

Horror: The five-year-old rape victim is covered by a sheet as she is transported to a specialist unit from Swami Dayanand Hospital, Delhi

Gangrape Suspect could not have killed himself!

The alleged ringleader of the Delhi bus gang rape could not have hanged himself in prison because he had a badly injured hand, his father claimed today.

Ram Singh, 34, was found dead in his cell in New Delhi’s Tihar jail where he was being held over the rape and murder of a 23-year-old student last December which sparked outrage across the country.Police said Singh had committed  suicide but his family and lawyer insisted he had been killed.His father Mangelal Singh said his son had been raped in prison by other inmates and had been repeatedly threatened by inmates and guards.
Nevertheless, he said he visited his son four days ago and he appeared fine and gave no hint of the despair that could drive him to take his own life.His father added that his son had a badly injured hand and would have been unable to commit suicide by hanging himself. An official inquiry has been launched. Singh was said to be the driver of the bus on which the student was raped by six men.

He was under suicide watch at Tihar jail, police officials were quoted as saying in some reports. But jail spokesman Sunil Gupta denied this was the case and said three people were sharing his cell. He said Singh appeared to have hanged himself with an improvised rope made from a blanket at about 5am local time today.Singh and four other defendants were facing the death penalty if convicted of the attack. A sixth accused is being tried separately because he is a juvenile. They all deny the charges.

Singh’s lawyer, VK Anand, said: “There were no circumstances which could have led to Ram Singh committing suicide. There was no mental stress. He was very happy.” Lawyers for the defendants had previously accused police of beating confessions out of the men. Mangelal Singh said he feared for the safety of another son, Mukesh Singh, who is also on trial in the case. The other men on trial are Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur.The case was due to resume today. They face 13 charges, including murder, gang-rape, kidnapping and destruction of evidence. The victim was with a male friend when she was raped and attacked with an iron bar and thrown from the bus. She died days later from internal injuries.Singh’s death is a huge embarrassment for the authorities under pressure over the case which prompted protests and demands for tougher penalties for sex offenders, as well as greater protection for women. The BBC said the Indian authorities say Tihar is one of their most modern prisons.

Delhi gang rape: main suspect dead in apparent suicide, say police

The man accused of leading five others in the brutal gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old physiotherapist in Delhi in December 2012 has been found dead in the high-security prison where he was being held during his trial.The attack in the Indian capital prompted global outrage, protests across India and calls for deep legal and policing reforms. It also led to a fierce debate over attitudes to women as a factor contributing to the wave of sexual violence against women that has hit the country in recent years.Ram Singh, 34, was on trial with five others at a specially established fast track court in Delhi and faced the death sentence. The trial opened in February but there have recently been delays. Singh was found hanged by his own clothes and a prison blanket at 5am, officials at Delhi's Tihar jail have said. An inquiry is under way.There was shock in India at the news and fierce criticism of prison authorities. Relatives of the victims said they were disappointed that Singh, a bus driver with a history of hard drinking, had apparently been allowed to take his own life."He knew he was going to die anyway because we had and still have such a strong case against him," the murdered woman's 20-year-old brother told the Reuters news agency."I'm not very thrilled with the news that he killed himself because I wanted him to be hanged ... publicly. Him dying on his own terms seems unfair. But, oh well, one is down. Hopefully the rest will wait for their death sentence."The assault took place on the bus Singh drove for a living. The victim and a 28-year-old male friend boarded the vehicle on a Sunday evening as they returned from seeing a film. They had believed the bus to be one of the many unlicensed carriers that fill the gaps left by Delhi's inadequate public transport system. The pair were however attacked with an iron rod and the woman repeatedly raped. After almost an hour they were pushed from the moving bus on to a roadside near the city's airport. The woman died later of massiveinternal injuries sustained during the assault.The accused adults in the case – along with a 17-year-old – were swiftly detained for their alleged roles in the attack, which took place on 16 December 2012. The minor is appearing in a separate court.Singh's lawyer said he had been murdered in prison, possibly by the police. "What do you mean killed himself? He has been killed in prison," said defence counsel AP Singh. Lawyers for the accused have claimed that their clients have been repeatedly attacked by other inmates in prison and were tortured by police.Investigators say there is a very strong prosecution case with 80 witnesses, DNA evidence and statements from both victims.Singh's younger brother, Mukesh, is among the accused. The pair had been living in a slum neighbourhood in the south of Delhi at the time of the attack. They had been joined by a fruit seller and a part-time gym assistant, a former colleague and the juvenile, who was an illiterate drifter, on a "joy ride" after hours of heavy drinking on the evening of the assault. They had come across the woman and her friend by chance, statements from two of the accused claim.