A Day After Being Set Ablaze, Unnao Rape Victim Dies in Delhi Hospital

Unnao: The 23-year-old rape victim from Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district, who was set ablaze by allegedly by five persons as she was on her way for a court hearing in Rae Bareli, died on Friday night, hospital sources said in Delhi.

The horrific incident comes a day after the four accused in the gang rape and murder case of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad were killed in an 'encounter' with the Telangana police, triggering a tsunami of reactions across the spectrum -- ranging from appreciation to condemnation.

"Despite our best efforts, she did not survive. Her condition deteriorated towards the evening. She had a cardiac arrest around 11:10 PM. We tried to resuscitate her, but she passed away around 11:40 PM," said Dr Shalab Kumar, Head of Burn and Plastic Surgery at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, where she was air-lifted and admitted after suffering more than 90%

The victim’s death has sparked anger and sorrow in Uttar Pradesh, with her father demanding justice on the lines the Hyderabad case.

"I want to see the accused persons being chased and shot dead," he said. "I do not want money or any other kind of help. I want to see that the accused are chased and shot dead like the Hyderabad encounter or hanged to death."

When asked if anyone had come forward to ensure them justice, he said neither any MLA nor official has tried to help them.

"The accused persons had used money power to deny justice to us. My case was not lodged and it was only after the court's directive that it was registered," he said.

The family members expressed deep sorrow that they could not save their daughter's life even though she wanted to live and see to it that the offenders get justice. The family is also not aware about when and where the cremation has to take place.

SDM Bighapur, Daya Shankar Pathak, declined to reveal when the body would arrive here or when the cremation would take place.

The Unnao rape victim was set on fire early Thursday morning when she was on her way to Rae Bareli in connection with the court case filed by her.

Five accused persons, including two who had allegedly raped her, were arrested soon after.

One of the two men accused of raping her last year was granted bail 10 days back. The other man had been on the run. All the five men involved in the Thursday morning attack were arrested within hours of the crime.

In a tweet, the Uttar Pradesh police had said the victim had lodged an FIR alleging that she had been raped between January 19 and December 12, 2018, by one of the accused on the pretext that he would marry her.

The accused was arrested then and got out on bail on November 25, police said. They had added that the probe into the incident is being conducted in a scientific manner and the circumstantial evidence collected.

In a chilling recap, the woman had said in her statement to Sub Divisional Magistrate Dayashankar Pathak that she was attacked when she reached Gaura turn near her home.

Harishankar Trivedi, Ram Kishore Trivedi, Umesh Bajpai, Shivam Trivedi and Shubham Trivedi set her afire, she had said.

She alleged that Shivam and Shubham Trivedi had abducted and raped her in December 2018. The FIR, however, was registered in March.

The sight of the woman running for help down an Unnao road sent shivers down the spine of local people. Ravindra, a local resident sitting by the roadside, said he called the police and the woman herself talked to them on phone.

Unnao has been in the spotlight after another young woman had accused former BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar of raping her in 2017, when she was 17 years old.