india

Updated: Dec 08, 2019 07:56 IST

The body of the rape victim who died of burn injuries in a Delhi hospital arrived in her native village in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao on Saturday.

The brother of the victim along with other relatives reached the village with the body after 9.00pm. There was an emotional outburst, with relatives of the victim crying inconsolably. Heavy police arrangements were made to avoid any untoward incident.

On timing of the last rites, Unnao district magistrate Devendra Pandey said, “It is yet to be finalised. Senior officials as well as two ministers, who were sent by the chief minister, would remain in the village till the final rites take place.”

The family would not cremate the body, and instead opted for burial, he said, adding that her memorial will be made beside the already existing memorials of her grandparents on piece of land owned by the family.

The victim’s father, meanwhile, alleged that he learnt about the death of his daughter from the media, and no one from the district administration cared to inform him.

“Isn’t it insensitive that a father is not told about his child’s death,” the woman’s father said, adding that he would fight for justice till his last breath.

“It doesn’t matter how much time it takes, a year or 20 years, I will keep fighting and ensure capital punishment,” he said.

The woman, who was raped last year, 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 the two who had allegedly raped her, were arrested soon after.

When Uttar Pradesh ministers Swami Prasad Maurya and Kamal Rani Varun along with local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sakshi Maharaj went to meet her family, they met with protests. A number of protesters, including some local Congress leaders, sustained injuries as police used force to disperse the crowd.

The state government announced Rs 25 lakh to the family of the woman and assured that a special fast-track court would be constituted for speedy trial in the case.

Labour minister Maurya said the state government was committed to justice to the victim and her family. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath was personally monitoring the progress of the case, he told reporters. “The government has its sympathies with the family in this trying hours; it tried its best to save her,” he said.