A highly respected Tibetan Buddhist monk who had championed the rights of Tibetans died on Sunday after allegedly undergoing torture in Tibet.Geshe Tsultrim Gyatso, who was 51, succumbed to injuries sustained in prison since his arrest in the Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in July 2011.Gyaltso was incapacitated and looked frail as the authorities handed him over to his family a few days ago following hospitalization.At the end of December, he was taken to a local hospital, owing to severe torture sustained in prison.

Just few days ago, the local hospital returned him to his family. He was physically incapacitated and frail due to maltreatment in prison. He passed away at home on January 22.

Chinese police had thrown Gyaltso in a prison in Qinghai province's Haidong prefecture after arresting him in July last year while lecturing at a school in Hainan's Trika county.
'Suspect' list

Gyatso was placed on the "suspect" list by Chinese authorities on his return from the 2006 "Kalachakra" Buddhist ritual in India presided over by Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

He had also given speeches and taken part in a peaceful protest along with 60 monks at a monastery in March, 2008 where they raised slogans calling for a free Tibet and displayed portraits of the Dalai Lama.

Gyatso had also played a "pivotal" role for the preservation and protection of the Tibetan language and culture, she said.