GANG-RAPE VICTIM’S BODY FLOWN TO DELHI, CREMATED
The mortal remains of the gangrape victim, who lost her
brave battle for life in a Singapore hospital on Saturday, were consigned to
flames here early on 30th December,2012, Sunday, away from public
glare, shortly after her body was received by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the small hours.The funeral pyre was lit by
her sobbing father at a crematorium in Dwarka sub city after traumatised
relatives and friends said their final prayers at a ritual at the house where
the girl lived in south-west Delhi.Mr. Singh and Ms. Gandhi waited at the Palam
technical area of the IGI Airport where a special aircraft of Air India
carrying the body of the girl as also her parents and two brothers taxied down
the tarmac in heavy fog in a sombre atmosphere, reflecting the national mood
against the bestial attack on her two Sundays ago that ultimately claimed her
life.
After the plane landed at IGI airport at around 3.30
a.m., Mr. Singh and Ms. Gandhi met the disconsolate parents and brothers of the
paramedical student and commiserated in their grief.Amidst heavy deployment of
Delhi Police, BSF and Rapid Action Force personnel in riot gear, the body was
then taken to the house, where the girl lived, and rituals were performed
before being taken to the crematorium at Dwarka Sector 24.Delhi Chief Minister
Sheila Dixit, Minister of State for Home Affairs R.P.N. Singh, West Delhi MP
Mahabal Mishra, Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta were also present at the
cremation from which the media was kept out.It was only late last night that
police had approached the officials of a crematorium for an early morning
cremation of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim.
The cremation plans were kept closely-guarded till the
last moment as police apprehended a large gathering may cause law and order
problems.Authorities also wanted the last rites to be performed at 6.30 a.m.
but their plan did not materialize as Hindu traditions did not allow cremation
before sunriseAt 7.30 a.m., the father of the victim lit the funeral pyre in
the presence of her brothers, relatives and others.Media was not allowed in the
crematorium.The girl, a physiotherapy student, was gang-raped and brutally
assaulted allegedly by six men in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16th
night. She died yesterday morning.While undergoing treatment at Safdarjung
hospital, she was shifted to the Singapore hospital for further treatment.The
aircraft AIC-380A took off from Singapore at around 12:30 a.m. local time
(10:00 p.m. IST Saturday), Indian High Commission officials said.On the
chartered plane, sent by the Indian government, were her family members who
have been in Singapore since the girl was brought to the hospital here in an
extremely critical condition.The victim, who underwent three surgeries, had
damaged internal organs in the assault. She also suffered a cardiac arrest and
brain injury.Police have slapped murder charges, which has death penalty in
rarest of rare cases, against the six accused and will file the chargesheet
against them on January three.Investigators said they will seek the harshest
punishment for the culprits.
Prof. John Kurakar
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