“Despite our best efforts, she did not survive. Her condition deteriorated towards the evening. She had a cardiac arrest at around 11.10 p.m. We tried to resuscitate her, but she passed away around 11.40 p.m.”

The 23-year-old Unnao rape survivor, who was airlifted to Delhi and admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital after she was set on fire by five persons on December 5, succumbed to her injuries on December 6 night.

Dr. Shalabh Kumar, HOD (Burns and Plastic), Safdarjung Hospital, said, “She suffered cardiac arrest at 11.10 p.m. We tried to resuscitate her, but she could not survive and at 11.40 p.m. she died.”

Dr. Kumar said that petrol had been used by the assailants to set her on fire and as a result she suffered 90% burns. The woman’s mother, sister and brother were in the hospital and have been informed, he added.

Also read: ‘Save me, I want to stay live,’ Unnao rape victim told doctors

On December 5, the woman was airlifted to Delhi from a hospital in Lucknow for further treatment. She was attacked outside Sindupur village in Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh when she was on her way to a court in Rae Bareli to attend a hearing in the rape case.

During the treatment, she told doctors at Safdurjung repeatedly not to let the accused go free. She asked the doctors if she would make it out alive and pleaded with them, “Save me....I want to live.”

Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Sunil Gupta, said, “She was conscious when she was brought here last night at 8 p.m. and was speaking, though very feebly.”

Dr. Gupta further said that the post mortem will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday under Dr. M.K Wahi, Head of Department of Forensic unit. The body will be later handed over to the relatives.

The hospital had set up a dedicated ICU for the patient and a team of doctors was constantly monitoring her health condition, he added.